


Love and Track

by Drawinganimemaster



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra and Glimmer are sisters, Childhood Friends, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, Family, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:36:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drawinganimemaster/pseuds/Drawinganimemaster
Summary: When her best friend moves to Brightmoon, the fancy upper class neighborhood just over the tracks from the Horde, Catra learns to fend for herself in every way possible. She mostly tries to keep her head down but when doodling on the classroom desk gets too boring she moves on to a bigger canvas—she just didn’t expect the clubhouse she tagged to belong to some rich goober with a handkerchief. She also didn’t expect him to offer her a track scholarship at Bright Moon Academy (BMA) for the gifted, and a seat at his family table. Now Catra has to navigate life at BMA, and what was once thought to be an ordinary school is littered with secrets seeping from the walls, and dipped in a rich history that was once lost.AU where Adora and Catra loose touch after getting out of their foster house but rekindle once they realize they're both attending Bright Moon Academy (BMA) for the gifted.HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Angella/Micah (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 156





	1. ENTER: CATRA MOORE!

CHAPTER ONE:

_ENTER: CATRA MOORE!_

0

“Hey, wait for me!”

Catra loves running for one simple reason: when she’s running, she doesn’t have the energy to think. When she’s still, especially in bed late at night, all these thoughts pile up too quickly for her to sort out. She wants to push her legs even harder against the wind but Adora’s dramatic heaving is ruining her flow so Catra skids to a stop near the low brick ridge surrounding the old lake at Horde public park. She leans against the stone, arms crossed, as she accesses Adora; hunched over, clutching her knees, as she tries to catch her breath.

“I didn’t tell you to follow me.”

“…I know,” Adora says between heavy breathes, “I wanted to…we’re friends—”

Catra scoffs. “I’m not gonna be here long, ya know. My mom is getting me out of here.” She turns her back to the annoying blonde so she can look at the baby geese as they follow behind their mother in a sloppy line.

Catra was five when she was taken from her mother, Erma, and placed into Weaver’s foster home. While she doesn’t know the specifics of why they took her away (even now, at 12, the details are enclosed in a private file) she knows one day her mother will come back for her. It’s always been the two of them. Her mother told her that her father died in a car crash long ago—and since then things had been rough. Catra has choppy memories of the revolving door that was her mother’s home but not much else.

“Huh?” Catra blinks when the blonde plops down beside her.

Adora doesn’t look upset when she realizes Catra hadn’t been listening. Adora just smiles. “I said, we can be friends until she gets you. And after that too.”

She doesn’t get Adora at all but for some reason they click. While the other kids in their home are too afraid of Weaver’s wrath to join in on some of her classic pranks, Adora is always up for the challenge. She’s her right hand. Best friend. They look out for each other in that cruel place they’re forced to call home.

“Duh,” Catra says after a moment, “friendship is forever.”

Adora’s smile burns her eyes.

“Too bright.” Catra covers her face.

“Shut up.” Adora laughs at her antics—always finding them amusing even when everyone else stares at her in disdain. “Come on, let’s race again. This time I’ll beat you!”

Catra is known for cheating at almost all of the games they play but running isn’t one of them.

“As if!” Catra counts them off and soon they’re running with sloppy form around the length of the park. When Catra wins the race, followed by three more (Adora demands the rematches with choppy breaths), they collapse on their backs under the shade of a towering tree. Catra’s squinting her eyes at the light that escapes from the canopy when Adora says—

“You’re good at that.”

Catra snorts. “I’m good at lots of things…but, which thing are you talking about?”

“Running.”

“Oh.”

Adora sits up and smiles down at her with those vibrant blues. “And you look really happy when you do it.”

Catra looks away and shrugs. “The wind feels nice on my fur.”

“We should run together more.”

“Oh, so you like losing that much.”

Adora doesn’t take the bait this time. “Come on. I have fifty cents, and I know you took a quarter from Kyle’s swear jar. We have enough for one of those big icy’s.”

Catra takes the offered hand. “Fine. But I want the blue one this time.”

Adora makes a face. “Gross, no, I want the red one.”

“Tough, it’s my quarter.”

They bicker about what flavor to get on their way to the corner store. In the end they compromise and go for the green one. The store clerk grabs a knife from the back and cuts the icy down the middle per their usual routine.

1

When Catra turns thirteen everything goes to shit. To be more exact, things really take a turn when her best friend, Adora, moves out of their foster house to live with some weird (but sweet) elderly woman named Razz who talks nonstop about baking pies for this Mara chick. And sure, Catra should be happy about the prospect of someone getting out of this shit hole, making a better life for themselves, but part of her feels like Adora’s leaving her behind.

“Catra…”

“It’s fine Adora, you’re finally getting out of here. That’s great for you. Don’t worry about me.”

Adora frowns. “I’m your best friend. It’s my job to worry.”

“Well worry about yourself more…my mom won’t let me stay in this place. She said she’s getting better. For me.”

Catra’s mom had been in town this past couple of months. They keep in touch by phone, and a couple lunch meetings, but this time things were different. Her mother never stayed in town this long. It was a sign that she was taking the steps to getting better so they could build their family again. Her mother is her family, not Adora, or Lonnie, Kyle, any of them. Catra just needs to wait until her mother works everything out and then she can get out.

“I know.” Adora’s face turns cold and it looks like she wants to say more about the subject but she settles on, “I have to go now. Razz just texted and said the car is ready, plus, I’m worried Weaver might tie me up and lock me in the basement while she still has the chance.”

Weaver has this weird obsession with Adora that no one seems to understand.

“Yeah, she’s a nutcase.”

Adora hugs her one last time. “I’ll call you when I get there. We can hang out on the weekends—”

“Adora, you only live twenty minutes away. I’ll just see you at school tomorrow.”

Adora says her goodbye’s to the rest of the house while Catra hangs out in their room to watch from the window. When there are no more tears to spare Adora gets in the backseat and waves goodbye until the car is a spot in the distance. Catra doesn’t think too much about the lingering look Adora had on her old bedroom window.

Catra shuts the blinds when it’s all said and done. She sinks to the ground and when she rubs at her itchy eyes her hand comes back wet. She tucks her chin into her knees and sits there for a long time not knowing what else to do.

2

She and Adora manage to keep in touch for the last few months of middle school and their summer leading into high school. Things change one day in July. It’s one of the cooler days of the summer and they’re sitting outside Razz’s backyard (Adora is still weird about calling it her home too) eating some leftover apple pie when Adora brings it up.

“What?”

Adora plays with her hands. “I uhm, Razz thinks it would be better if I went to Bright Moon Academy—”

Catra snorts. “No way. That preppy rich kid school?”

“It’s a normal high school, just private. The college acceptance rate is way higher than the Horde’s…but I’d have to wear a dumb uniform.”

“Isn’t it like super expensive?”

“…don’t freak out.”

Catra takes a step back and prepares for the worst. “Okay.”

“I’m kind of, magic?”

Catra blinks. “Magic.”

“It’s why Razz took me in. She knew my mother, Mara, and she said her power was passed on through me. There’s a sword with a weird activation code and everything, I haven’t gotten it to work but Razz sees something in me…and even if it’s not true, the DNA test came back positive. I’m Mara’s daughter. So technically the school has to let me in.”

“You’re a witch?”

Adora shakes her head. “No! This isn’t Harry Potter, Catra, this is serious.”

“Serious—you’re talking about magic swords!”

“I know how it sounds, I was freaked out too, but there is magic all around us. Bright Moon Academy, or BMA for short, would let me learn about this part of myself that’s been kept hidden. I can’t give that up.”

Catra nods because she knows what it’s like to hold onto the last ties of family. “If that’s what you want.”

“I have to do this. Razz is counting on me.”

They don’t talk about how they’ll be going to separate schools even on the last day of summer when they’re riding their bikes down to the water front to catch the fireworks. But they do make the most of their summer. Catra lets Lonnie and the others follow her to Adora’s house a couple times because she knows she isn’t the only one who missed the golden girl. It isn’t the same when there are others tagging along with them but it’s worth seeing Adora smile as she catches up with everyone.

The fireworks reflecting in Adora’s eyes is the last fond memory they share before high school tears them apart.

3

Catra gets into abstract art during freshmen year. Her art teacher takes notice of her potential and gives her a sketch book with some markers so she can go crazy but Catra has always been one to step outside of the box. She finds it more comforting to make bizarre designs on the edges of her desk in the back of class during English. A couple kids even ask her to do something cool on their arms and legs when they get a peek at her skill. Drawing calms her in a way running does but in more of an abundance; with running there is always a limit, her body can’t run forever but with art there is only the stiffening of her hand that she easily pushes through.

Her English professor gives her detention when he finds out what she’s been doing to the desks. Catra makes a habit of drawing on more stuff around the school if it means getting detention (this way she doesn’t have to spend more time at that house with Weaver and her strict rules and harsh punishment). But when she gets a warning of getting suspended from school for a couple days she cools down. Instead, Catra gets some bottles of spray paint from some upperclassmen selling them for cheap and heads out into the night in a black hood.

She tags a handful of abandoned brick walls, run down trains, and water towers before she gets caught. It’s the summer after freshmen year sometime after the sunset and Catra’s got a mini flashlight hanging from her mouth while her free hands sketch out her pain with paint. She’d spent weeks eyeing this old wooden shack on the other side of town (a nicer neighborhood just over the bridge) when she decided it too was abandoned and in need of some love.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Her art is finished for the most part so Catra shoves the cans in the pouch around her waist and runs like hell. The footsteps behind her are no match for her natural ability and soon she’s out of the woods booking it to her bike parked somewhere behind some bushes.

She gets back to Weaver’s house a little past midnight (it’s no joke riding her bike up that bridge connecting the towns). By the time she drops the bike in the grass her quads are screaming and her breathing is rushed but she’s never felt so alive.

4

The adrenaline of that night comes to a crash when Weaver literally pulls her by the ear and into the living room to meet some guy who’s wearing the dorkiest khakis she’s ever seen. “You sit down and apologize for your insolence.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Don’t lie to me. I see right through your bullshit. I told you to stop fooling around with this art nonsense and here you go defacing his—”

“Ah, please, she didn’t do anything wrong,” the man argues with a kind voice.

“She didn’t?”

“I didn’t?”

The man holds out his hand. “I’m Micah, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Okay.” Catra takes his hand, surprised by how warm it is. “…I’m not in trouble?”

Micah glances at her foster mother briefly. “Could we step outside and talk?”

Catra shrugs and leads him to the steps out front where Weaver can’t eavesdrop. Catra plops down on the steps while Micah pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket. He dutifully stretches out the black fabric before sitting on it.

“You carry that with you?” Catra can’t stop her bubbling laugh.

Micah doesn’t seem to mind. “My daughter finds it funny as well.”

Catra leans back. “So, you’ve already got a kid, what’re you doing here? And what do you want with me?”

“You spray painted my daughters old club house last night. Catra right?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really? It’s a shame, the art work was pretty good.”

“How’d you know it was me?”

“You tagged your name.” Micah adds, “but I also used a locator spell to find you with some hair you left behind.”

Catra moves away from him just an inch. “A spell?”

“Let me explain, please. I work at Bright Moon Academy and my wife is the headmistress. The academy is for talented students who have magical backgrounds but it is not limited. I would like to offer you a spot at the academy.”

Catra gapes. “You want me at your dumb school? Why?”

Micah’s eyes suddenly spark. “I want you to join the track team!”

Catra laughs so hard she almost falls over. “ _What?_ ”

“I’m the head coach for the women’s team and last night, even in the dark, you were able to outrun me easily.”

“Well, you’re kind of old…”

“You have pure skill and I believe with the proper mechanics you can bring our team to victory at championships this indoor and outdoor season. Our summer training starts next month so you can easily catch up with the team.”

Catra looks away. “Like I could ever afford to drop everything and go to BMA.”

“We’d offer you a full athletic scholarship.”

“…what’s the catch?”

Micah’s smile is honest. “You would live with my family. We have enough guests rooms to go around. BMA is farther from here so there wouldn’t be a direct bus route so things would be easier if you came with us.”

Catra backs away. “Why…why would you do that for me? You don’t even know me.”

“You have talent and I don’t want to see you waste it. We’ve done this with a few other athletes in the past so I can assure you it can work.”

“My mom is still in town,” Catra says “she’s getting her life together so she can come back for me. How can she do that if I’m not here?”

Micah stands up but not without giving her his card. “We won’t stop you from contacting your mother, Catra. But we do want to get you out of this environment so you can use your skills properly. Give me a call when you come to a decision.”

Catra watches him refold his handkerchief before he walks back to his black Range Rover parked a couple cars down from the house. Long after Micah drives away Catra sits on the step playing with the business card.

5

A few days after meeting Micah, Catra spots her mother hanging out under the bridge where she’s got some bottle of spray paint ready to vent. The design she’d been working on in her head vanishes as she runs up to her clone.

“Mom? What’re you doing out here?”

Erma looks frazzled when she’s pulled from the hug. “Catra, hey what’s up?”

“I’m hanging in there, you know me.” Catra wants to spout off about her new love for art but there are a couple sketchy guys standing around them so she losses her cool. When one of them looks her way she clears her throat and turns back to her mom. “You didn’t tell me you were in town.”

“Sorry baby girl, I’ve been working hard…so we can be together. I just need some more cash.”

Catra frowns. “Money doesn’t matter to me. You have a place, why can’t I just stay with you. I hate it there, Weaver has it out for me I swear.”

“You think it’s easy? I’m working my ass off trying to make sure you have everything!” Erma snaps suddenly.

“No, mom—”

“Kids, you all think everything comes so easily.”

“That’s not it mom, I want to help you—”

Erma stands and suddenly she’s face to face with Catra. They’re almost the same height, they even have the same eyes but Erma’s have grown dull over the years and Catra’s seem not too far behind. “Then help me so we can be together.”

Catra swallows the trepidation and nods. “Anything you need, mom.”

Erma’s grin is fanged and ragged. “That’s my girl.”

Erma snaps her finger and one of the sketchy guys comes over and hands her a small clear pouch with multicolored pills inside. Erma hands them to Catra.

“…what am I supposed to do with these?”

“Sell them.”

“What? But I’ve never—”

One of the men say “it’ll be easy, preppy rich kids eat those things up. And you can easily sell it for a higher price and they’d never know the difference.”

Catra leaves on her bike with the contents in her pockets weighing her down.

6

Catra leaves Waver’s foster care a few days after she sends Micah the okay text. It’s less theatrical than Adora’s dismissal all those years ago. Kyle is the only one who cries (even though she made his life hell with all the pranks) and Lonnie surprisingly gives her a hug with wishes of good luck.

“What happens now?” Catra asks when she’s done packing her last suitcase in the trunk of the Range.

Micah shrugs. “I could go for some waffles.”

Catra snickers. “Not what I meant and you know it…does your wife know you’re doing this?”

Micah looks affronted as he drives off. “You think I’d surprise her with something like this?”

“You surprised me with that handkerchief.”

“Angella knows, so does Glimmer, my daughter, and they’re ready to meet you. The court will let you stay with us and pop in randomly to monitor you so they can see we’re fit to keep you with us.”

They don’t talk much on the drive there with the radio playing popular songs of the summer. Catra sleeps for most of the ride but as they pull up to a house— _mansion_ her eyes almost fall out. She sits up and gawks at everything from the gardeners clipping the bushes lining the long driveway, to the cars parked out around the narrow path leading up to the front of the house, and everything else.

“You live _here_? On a coache’s salary?”

Micah laughs. “That’s just my side job, I’m actually a doctor at Bright Moon Hospital. I’m basically retired but I hate sitting still. Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

Despite how large the house is, Catra is quick to learn it’s drastically quiet. She expected maids and butlers bussing around but there is nothing except a beautiful lanky woman (someone out of a model magazine) with long purple hair and a girl Catra’s age who looks more like Micah aside from the hair color.

“Love.” Micah greets the woman with a kiss.

“Darling…” the woman looks at her, “you must be Catra. It’s nice to put a name to the face. I’m Angella.”

Catra waves nervously. “Hey.”

“And this is Glimmer, you two are in the same grade and will be going to BMA in September. It’s only her second year there but she’ll be sure to show you around. Glimmer, how about you show Catra to her room?”

Glimmer gestures for Catra to follow. They don’t talk until they’re up the stairs and a good distance away so their voices don’t carry.

“This place is huge how do you live here?”

“You get used to it.” Glimmer says. “But yeah, I guess it can be a bit—”

“Quiet.”

“Yeah. But uhm, this is your room. Mine is right across the hall if you need anything.”

Catra drops her pouch on the bed. A pack of pills slip out from the loose zipper and Catra tries to scoop them in before Glimmer sees but it’s too late.

“I have trouble sleeping. Those help.”

Glimmer crosses her arms. “Vandalizing property with spray paint, stashing what are likely illegal pills in your bag—”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I do. I know your type, people from the Horde are nothing but trouble.” Glimmer walks out. “Dinner’s at five.”

7

Catra doesn’t see much of Glimmer for a few weeks after their bad first impressions (except for at dinner) but she isn’t really fond of her either so she doesn’t mind. Catra sleeps in until the afternoon, hanging out in the yard, getting familiar with the house, and arranging her room the way she pleases. She has trouble sleeping the first couple of weeks, not used to having her own room, so it messes with her sleeping pattern. Her routine continues like this until Micah wakes her up at 8am on Monday.

“Dude.” Catra hisses when he pulls the blinds to let light in.

“No dude, as of today I am your coach. Today marks the first day of July aka preseason! From now on you will wake up at 8am, weekends excluded, to head out to the track for your workout. Three days of the week you will also incorporate your lifting and head to the weight room. Get dressed so we can go.”

Catra gets to stay in this awesome place for free so she does as she’s told for once. She gets in the car dressed in a mismatching sweat suit and her old trainers.

“Sweatshirt in July,” Micah nods “I like it. Athletes have to stay warm.”

Catra yawns into her hand. “Is this gonna be a thing?”

“I take track seriously. You have skill but you need help with your mechanics. Do you know anything about track?”

“There’s lots of running.”

“Track and _Field_. There are throwing events and jumping too. We’ll figure out where you fit best.”

The workout is 6x300m sprints at 50% just to so he can see where her endurance is. Catra finishes them without a problem, her times could’ve been lower but she wanted to pace herself. When she’s done Micah leads her into a cool down with some stretching drills. He talks about other events and lets her pick which ones she’d be into. Catra’s not used to being given a choice so she says—

“Can I try all of them and just go from there?”

Micah smiles.

8

“But mom!”

“Glimmer, no means no. Honestly, did you really think I would let you go to a party on the other side of town with people you don’t even know?”

“Bow would be there—”

“Don’t you dare drag that sweet boy into this! You’re staying home and that’s final.”

Catra tries to pretend like she wasn’t listening when Glimmer storms out of the kitchen and collapses onto the couch. Angella storms up the steps into her office to retire for the night (she must work a lot because Catra never sees her leave that office until late the next morning). Micah is out at the hospital on call so he isn’t here to act as a buffer.

“Didn’t know parties were your thing.”

Glimmer looks up, unamused. “Oh, you’re still here?”

“Just go to the dumb party.”

“But my mom—”

“Is gonna be locked in there until tomorrow. And aren’t you magic? You can just poof yourself out anytime you want.”

“It’s not that easy…I how low endurance and can only teleport a few times.”

“Can you drive?”

Glimmer rolls her eyes. “I’m only fifteen so no—”

“I have a license.”

“Bull shit.”

Catra plucks it out her wallet with a smirk. “As soon as I turned fifteen I took the stupid written test and then six months later I got my license. I didn’t have a car but it made me feel like I could go somewhere instead of being trapped there.”

Glimmer hesitates. “My parents would flip if we took a car without asking.”

“We? I’m not going.”

“You have to! Obviously you have more experience with this than I do. Come on!”

Catra is sick of staring at the wall every night so she agrees. They sneak out the back and walk around to the front and take one of the cars Glimmer’s parents are less likely to notice is missing. “Do you know where we’re going?”

“Bow dropped his location. Here.” Glimmer puts in the address and Catra blindly takes her directions. They pull up to a raging house party somewhere in the woods isolated from the major roads in less than half an hour. Catra spots a dark-skinned boy wearing a white crop top and blue jeans—she’s not surprised to find out this is the Bow they’re meeting up with.

“Your mom actually let you come?”

“No, we sort of sneaked out.”

Bow looks impressed. “Seriously?”

“Catra’s evil plan, not mine. This is Catra by the way, she’s—staying with us so my dad can train her to run track for BMA this year.”

Catra nods at him. “Hey.”

Bow gets a gleam in his eyes. “Oh! This is so exciting! Your first bonding exercise with your new sister!”

Glimmer nudges him, whispering “she’s not my sister.”

Catra shoves past them. “Can we go in or what?”

Bow leads the way to the door with Glimmer in tow while Catra hangs out in the back. There’s an older dude at the door who’s giving them a hard time. “You two look like you’re twelve—”

“I’m fifteen!” Glimmer shouts.

“What’s going on?”

Catra recognizes the voice instantly. “DT?”

Double Trouble, DT for short, looks over their heads to see her. A smirk pulls on their lips, “long time no see Kitten. I thought you didn’t live on this side of the tracks anymore?”

Catra rolls her eyes. “Can’t take the Horde out of anybody, you know that. What do we have to do to get in?”

DT laughs, “sit down and tell me what you’ve been up to. Come on, let them in they’re friends.”

Catra leaves Glimmer with Bow because she’s not the kid’s babysitter but mostly because she wants to catch up with DT. They lead her into the kitchen where she’s shocked to see Lonnie and Kyle leaning against the sink away from the action as usual.

Lonnie jokes “who let her in?”

“Very funny.” Catra stands across from them, she can’t stop smiling at how familiar everything feels; stuck in Glimmer’s quiet house is so different than Weaver’s loud one, buzzing with energy. “Why didn’t you guys tell me there was a party?”

Lonnie shrugs. “Adora left and we’ve never heard from her except for those times during middle school. It’s been a year and nothing, thought you’d be the same.”

“I’m nothing like Adora.”

Kyle breaks the tension. “We’re about to play Kings, you in?”

“I drove here and I don’t drink.”

“Boo,” DT pouts, “at least dance with me.”

Catra’s being dragged out before she can think.

9

The party takes a turn for the worst when someone finds DT on the floor upstairs in a pool of vomit. Catra is with Glimmer, about to tell her it’s time to go, when Kyle cuts the music and screams for help. Bow’s the one who calls the ambulance which comes with a couple cop cars and Catra knows she’s done for. They haven’t been drinking but because they’re under age so the cops drive her and Glimmer home. Bow gets stuck at the house with DT since he was the one to make the call but the officers stick around while they get the rest of the kids home.

“Are you happy now?”

Catra frowns. “Excuse me?”

“I saw the pills in your room, Catra. How could you? I thought DT was your friend—”

“You really don’t know anything, Sparkles, so I’d shut up if I were you.”

Glimmer sees the cop approaching with her mother in tow when they finally make it home. She asks quickly, “did you have anything to do with this?”

“No.” Catra spits. “And fuck you for thinking I would—”

“Glimmer! Catra!” Angella pulls them in close before setting them with a look that could melt ice. “What were you thinking?”

Catra weighed down by the expectations of her mother and haunted by the quiet house confesses, “it was my fault.”

“No, it was mine.” Glimmer surprises her by saying “I begged Catra to drive me there even when you told me not to. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

Catra’s too shocked to argue.

“Even so, you both left the house without my permission. It may be summer but I can still ground the both of you. Get up to your rooms, I’ll talk with you two in the morning.”

Catra bumps Glimmer’s shoulder when they get into the house. “What was that about?”

“You said you didn’t do it. And I did kind of force you to take me to the party.”

“No one forces me to do anything,” Catra frowns, “and I didn’t do it. DT can be a lot but they’re my friend.”

Glimmer stops at the last step, staring at her with open eyes far from the judgement Catra’s used to seeing. “Then why do you have pills in your bag?”

“…my mom is trying to save up money so she can get me back, she needs help.”

“Catra—”

“It’s just a couple pills.”

“You could get arrested!” Glimmer whisper shouts. “You saw what happened to DT!”

“Those weren’t mine. I haven’t even sold them yet.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“They told me to sell them to preppy kids like you for a higher price but your family isn’t terrible and Bow isn’t awful either…so I thought, maybe the rest of the prep kids aren’t half bad either.”

Glimmer smiles. “Did you just say something nice to me, Horde scum?”

“Let me come up with the nicknames Sparks.”

Glimmer’s smile falls slowly. “What are you gonna do about the pills?”

“I’m not gonna sell them so I should probably give them back. My mom is still in town and I know the places she likes to hang around.”

“You can’t go alone.”

“She’s my mom. I’ll be fine.”

Catra’s glad when Glimmer doesn’t argue or make more of a fuss.

“I’m going to bed; your dad is probably gonna make me run a shit load of laps for this tomorrow.”

10

The next day Catra gets up at 8am per usual.

“So,” Catra trails off nervously at the cold look Micah’s giving her “I’m guessing this workout is gonna suck today, right?”

Micah nods.

“Fine. Just let me get a banana or something so I don’t pass out.” Catra goes back into the house.

“I’ve got our breakfast and workout snacks packed already.” Glimmer says, popping out from the kitchen. “Strawberry bars are your favorite flavor, right?”

Catra stutters “yeah, but, why are you—”

“I’m grounded and I’ve got nothing better to do. Why not?”

Micah looks surprised to see them both walk out together. “This won’t be an easy workout Glimmer.”

“I know dad.”

Micah looks between the two of them. “Alright then. It’s a nice day so how about you two jog over to the track for your warm up, and don’t try walking because I’ll be tailing you the whole time. When you get to the track Catra will lead you in the stretches and I’ll explain from there.”

Catra jogs just a little bit slower so she can take in the breeze _not_ because she’s trying to help Glimmer keep up.


	2. CUTTING TIES

CHAPTER TWO:

CUTTING TIES

1

The first thing Catra does after being grounded for two weeks is ride her bike over into Horde territory. It’s Saturday afternoon, after a light day of practice with Micah, so her legs don’t cramp up too bad as she pedals up the steep hill. Micah has lightened up on their punishment (two weeks later) after the party fiasco. Glimmer is using her new found freedom to plan a small get together with some friends from BMA. Catra heard Glimmer talking with Bow about the guest list a few nights ago but Catra was too exhausted from practice to hear more so she’d went straight to bed.

“Erma.” One of her mother’s grunts pulls Catra out of her thoughts by saying, “your kid is here.”

Erma’s smile is all teeth. “Honey, I got your text. I could’ve met you halfway.”

Catra shrugs. “Don’t worry, I like the ride up here. Let’s me think.”

“I hope you have good news for me.”

“Not exactly.” Catra plucks the bag of pills from her pocket. “…I’m sorry, I couldn’t do it.”

The grunts sitting off to the side look over at them. Catra is a little weary when they stand up, they don’t step any closer but there is obvious intent.

Erma takes the bag. “Is it all here?”

“Yeah, of course, I didn’t take anything out.”

“I believe you. Eddy, give this bag to Kenny and tell him to have the money by sundown at the usual spot.” Erma turns back to Catra. “…don’t worry about the pills. I get it. It’s summer time and you’re not even in school yet. Hard to sell to rich kids when you haven’t met them yet.”

Catra scratches her neck. “I’m sorry. I really did want to help—”

“You still can.”

Catra gulps. “Uhm…I don’t know—”

“We all have to put the work in, sweetie. So we can be together. I’m doing the best I can but I’m gonna need some help here. So this is what’s gonna happen. You’re going to do another job for me.”

“What kind of job?”

Erma gives nothing away, saying “I’ll have someone contact you later in the week.”

2

A couple nights pass and Catra still hasn’t heard back from her mother. It’s nerve wreaking, she feels like someone is about to jump out of a corner and demand things from her, so Catra plans a visit to DT’s house to get her mind off everything.

“Are you sure you don’t want to hang out tonight?” Glimmer asks for the fifth time this night.

Catra snickers. “Please, like I’d fit in with you and your rich private school friends.”

“Hey, _you’re_ a rich private school kid too.”

Catra fake barfs. “Don’t remind me…” she stands up and swipes her jacket from the back of the couch where it hangs. “You don’t need me here anyway.”

“True but,” Glimmer looks away “I still want you here.”

Catra does her best to hide the surprise on her face. “Wow, did you just say something nice about me?”

“Look, you should stay and hang out. They all go to BMA and it’ll be easier for you in September if you know some people. It won’t be the entire squad either, I know you’re not into big crowds so this’ll be a chill event. Just Perfuma, Mermista, you’ve met Bow, She Ra, Frosta—”

“What kind of name is She Ra?” Catra frowns.

“It’s a nickname she earned from basketball because one time—”

“I bet this is an awesome story but I should really head out now.” Catra pats Glimmer on the shoulder, smiling softly. “…I bet your nerdy friends are great, and I’ll met them once school starts, but I really need to check on DT. They just got released from the hospital and a few people I know from the Horde are visiting so I won’t be entirely alone.”

Glimmer says, “but you’re still going alone? I know dad’s letting you borrow the car—”

“ _Porsche._ ”

“—but I think you should bring someone with you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“It’s a bad neighborhood—”

“I grew up in that neighborhood, okay? I know everyone and everything about the Horde, I’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Don’t worry so much. I’ll text you when I get there and when I’m headed back.”

Glimmer nods. “Fine…and maybe you can meet my friends if you come back early enough.”

“Yeah maybe,” Catra says dismissively. “I’ll keep you updated, don’t worry.”

3

Catra parks Angella’s midnight Porsche across the street from DT’s house a little after sundown. The streetlights guide her up the chipping porch steps; the concrete beneath her feet, solid and unforgiving, along with the fresh night air truly makes her feel at home. Catra knocks twice on the screen door, it rattles to attention. Lonnie greets her at the door before leading her in through the living room to DT’s resting area where they’re holed up.

“How’re they doing?”

Lonnie stops them right before they make it to the ajar door. She looks over the corner before saying “they’re doing good. The doctors kept them overnight until all of the drugs were out of their system but now social workers are looking into their parents because of DT being a minor. Something about negligence.”

Catra shakes her head. “You don’t think they’d send them back to Weaver’s?”

DT moved in with their foster parents a few years ago but there isn’t telling what will happen with the drug incident. There have already been issues in the past with DT lashing out like the typical troubled teen the first couple of weeks when they were learning to adjust with their new family.

“I don’t know about anything anymore. DT’s parents don’t seem too worried about it so we’re hoping it isn’t a big deal but it’s probably just so we don’t freak out. Just…try not to bring it up.”

“Got it. Lead the way.”

Lonnie shows her to the room where DT sits upright in a queen-sized bed with pillows propping them up. Kyle greets her where he’s sitting at the foot of DT’s bed reading what looks like a “get well” card.

“Look who decided to grace me with her rich kid presence.” DT says with a sly grin, looking far too cheerful for someone who’s had their stomach pumped a couple nights ago.

Catra digs her hands into her pockets not knowing what to do with them. “I’m not a rich kid. I grew up in the Horde like the rest of you guys.”

“You’re the one who rolled up in that beauty.” DT nods to the window where they can easily spot her car under the light of the moon tucked under some trees.

“Micah just let me borrow it.” Catra pulls up a chair. “But seriously, how are you doing with all of this?”

“Stomach hurts like hell but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Where’d you get the pills?”

DT hesitates, “some guys got into the party somehow. I was going to kick them out but they offered me pills at a cheap price and with school coming up—you know how much I struggled last year with work and school—I just needed something to take the edge off.”

“What did the guys look like?” Catra demands.

“I don’t know, it was dark in the room and my memory is foggy after downing the pills but…he was in a dark hoodie, kinda sketchy…”

“Sketchy…” Catra clutches the edge of her seat so she has something to dig her nails into. Anything to keep her from lashing out. “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault you’re like this. My mom’s goons—”

Lonnie stops her. “Erma is in charge of some sketchy stuff in the Horde, everyone’s known this. She’s your mom and I know you don’t want to hear this…it’s why you can’t see what she is but, Catra, none of this is your fault.”

DT agrees, “I make my own decisions. I could’ve said no but I didn’t. That’s on me.”

It still doesn’t sit right with Catra but she doesn’t push. “Okay…enough with the water works then, how about you catch me up on what’s been going on since I’ve left. I’m all ears.”

Time goes by quickly with Catra listening to stories from DT and the others. She learns the old neighborhood park is being moved to the farther part of town, near the Horde suburb, in favor of a liquor store (it’ll be right across from the elementary school they all went to). They rave about what a poor hand their community has been handed but it’s not all bad. Kyle opens up about his sexuality and how he’s exploring it by going out with a nice guy he met on some dating app, and Lonnie tells her she’s also joining the track team this school year.

“No way,” Catra still can’t believe it, “what are the odds we’re both doing the same sport this year. Have you decided on what events you’ll do?”

Lonnie confesses, “I’m thinking about shot put, any throwing event sounds interesting, I have the strength for it.”

Catra gets a text from Glimmer about the time. She looks at the bedside clock out of habit. “How have I been here for three hours?”

“Horde time. Things always happen fast here.”

Catra takes her time getting up. “I wish I could hang out more but Micah will kill me at practice if I show up past midnight.”

DT waves her off. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you came to check up on me. It was nice catching up.”

“Of course.” Catra says, “this is still my home. I’ll never forget that.”

“At least _you_ remember.”

Catra says a few more goodbyes before stepping out into the night. She sends Glimmer a quick text to let her know she’s on her way home and gets a quick reply.

Sparkles: ugh I didn’t know you were staying for so long, my friends left a while ago

Sparkles: but they’re excited to meet you!

Catra snorts, “yeah right—” she cuts herself off, stopping in the middle of the street, when two guys in black hoodies walk up to her. “Can I help you assholes?” she tries her best to bring some of that Horde attitude out to play so she can hide the way her hands are shaking.

The one on the right speaks, “Erma sent us.”

Catra frowns. “My mom?”

“You didn’t want to sell those pills so it looks like you owe us double. But don’t worry, this is a simple job even you can’t screw it up.”

Catra bristles “what do you want?”

The goon on the left hands her a piece of wrinkled up paper. “Go to this address tomorrow at 8. Ask for Charles, he owes us money for a pickup we sent him. Shouldn’t give you too much trouble, Charles is good for it.”

“But,” the other goon hands her the butt end of a gun “just in case you need to persuade him.”

Catra steps away. “What the _fuck_ I’m not shooting any—”

“The gun is a last resort.”

“…I don’t even know how to use it—”

“It’s just for show. There aren’t any bullets in it, kid. But Charles doesn’t know that.”

The goon on the left speaks to her in a softer tone that makes her think he has kids of his own. “If he gives you a hard time just show him your carrying and you’ll get no problems.”

Catra takes the gun and awkwardly shoves it into her bag if it means they leave her alone.

“When you’ve got the money come see Erma. You’ve got til the end of the week.”

Catra asks, “or what?”

“Or,” the goon on the right says, “we pay a visit to that rich family you’re living with. I doubt they’d want to keep you around if they knew what kind of blood you have on your hands…we’ll be in contact.”

Catra stares at them long after their bodies have morphed into the shadows of the dark. And when she finally gets the nerve to get back in the car she sits there until her body stops shaking.

4

“Glimmer you’re overthinking this.”

“Bow, I’m telling you something is up. Catra’s being weird. Ever since she came back from visiting her friend from the Horde…she’s been quiet all day and just locked herself up in her room after practice. I join her on Tuesday’s and she usually stays with me when we jog but today she just left me behind. It was like she was stuck in her own head.”

Bow’s camera moves around as he walks around his house. Catra’s hiding out in her room so Glimmer stepped outside in the garden to facetime Bow for some advice.

“Glim, let’s be real…you don’t even know Catra so how can you be sure something’s wrong.”

Glimmer flinches. “What does _that_ mean?”

“I’m just saying,” Bow looks at her softly “just a few weeks ago you didn’t even see her as part of your family and now—”

“Catra isn’t the easiest person to get along with but she’s my—” Glimmer sighs “look, I just have a gut feeling. She’s going out tonight to meet some friends at the Horde again and this time I’m going with her.”

“Did you run this by her?”

“She won’t have a choice.”

Bow shakes his head. “Oh no. No way Glimmer.”

“Please—”

“No!” Bow hisses, “we’re not stalking your soon to be foster sister.”

“Bow. Something’s wrong. I know it…I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t try and then something bad happened to her.”

Bow stares off into space for a moment before agreeing, “fine. Only because you don’t have a license and if you sneak into the trunk of Catra’s car I’ll have to admit you into an institution and you’d never make it.”

Glimmer scoffs, “please I’ve watched _Asylum_ on _American Horror Story_ five times, I’d do fine.”

Bow laughs. “Yeah. You’d probably end up running the place.”

5

Catra pulls up to Charles’ house a few minutes after 8 o’clock. She goes around the back like instructed and knocks on the screen door. There’s movement on the other side before the door is pushed open just a crack.

“Hey,” Catra nods awkwardly, “I’m here for Erma. Are you Charles?”

“She’s sending kids now?”

Catra snaps, “not just any kid. Her kid. So you’d better let me in before I show you just how similar I am to my mother.”

“Stay here—”

Catra kicks her foot out to stop the door from shutting. “Can’t do that.”

She’s seen the movies and cop shows. If she lets this guy out of her sight even for a second he’ll be gone along with the money he owes.

“Fine.” Charles pulls the door open. He’s an older man with a clean cut, not someone she would expect to be involved in her mother’s dealings but then again Catra can say the same about herself. “You can hang out in the kitchen here. The money’s in my safe just give me a few minutes—”

“You have one.”

Charles laughs. “You’re just like her but also…not quite.”

Catra frowns, “time’s ticking Charlie.”

“…hang tight.”

Catra’s shoulders fall when he steps out of view. It’s an easy habit for her to fall back on, a defense mechanism that got her into a lot of trouble back at Weaver’s but right now it’s working out. It’s instinctual almost. Using this persona as a means for survival but at the same time it’s no different from her childhood, she’d acted like a jerk, lashing out at the other foster kids, at Adora, in order to survive.

Catra stands up taller when she hears him coming back.

“Here you go.” Charles hands her a wad of wrinkled up cash tied in an old rubber band.

Catra counts it and falters. “…you’re short.”

“Come on, that’s all I have. You see my house—”

The one-story home is definitely worse for wear and packed tightly against neighboring homes (Catra never would’ve made it to the back of the house if she wasn’t skinny enough to slip into the alley).

“—and I’ve got a kid, my wife, ex-wife I’m sorry, took her but—”

Catra stops him. “Let me guess. You’re working on it?”

“I am actually.”

“I’ve heard it all before and it means nothing to me. I’m here for the $500 and you’ve only handed me half of what you owe.”

“Just tell Erma I’ll get it to her for twice as much next week. I’m good for it.”

Twice as much for him means thrice for her so Catra pulls out the trump card that’s been weighing her down the moment she stepped in. “I don’t like those odds. So, how about you go back to your little safe and scrape up the rest of the money.”

Charles doesn’t flinch. “Do you even know how to use that thing?”

“Wanna find out?”

“…I don’t have the money so you’re just gonna have to shoot me.”

Catra looks away.

“…that’s what I thought.” Charles takes a step closer saying “just give me the gun before you—”

Part of Catra knows just how far her mother would go for the money, something she’s been blind to (or ignorantly blissful about) so it makes her confident in the way she shoots off the gun. She busts one of the windows in the kitchen, not exactly what she’d been planning, but Charles jumps regardless and finally turns white with the same fear for his life Catra felt every day at Weaver’s.

“Do you have the money now?” Catra doesn’t recognize her own voice, her body even moves on its own with muscle memory passed through her by genetics.

“I don’t have it!” Charles holds his hands up, “I’m sorry, please, I don’t—”

“Catra!”

“What are you doing?”

The last two people who need to be seeing this barge in and catch her in a strange new light. Catra looks over her shoulder, “Glimmer? What the hell are you doing here?”

“What are you doing? Catra?” Glimmer’s voice shakes. “Put the gun down.”

Catra shakes her head. “You don’t understand…I have to do this—”

“Your mom doesn’t care about you!” Glimmer shouts. “What kind of mother makes her child work for her love? She’s using you; she was never coming back for you…”

Catra shakes, “I don’t have anybody else.”

“You have me.” Glimmer doesn’t hesitate to hug her from behind, such a foreign gesture at a tense moment like this.

Catra doesn’t believe her. “No one cares about me…they all leave…”

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re part of our family and…I’m sorry if I ever made you doubt that.”

Catra falters and it’s enough time for Glimmer to gently take the gun. She hands it to Bow and then works on dragging Catra out of the house. “Come on.”

Catra falls apart in Glimmer’s embrace long after Bow’s moved them to the car.

6

“Bow just texted, he got home safe and he’ll come over tomorrow to check up on you.”

Catra tucks herself tighter into her knees. “He doesn’t—”

“He wants to.” Glimmer sits next to her on the bed. “…I didn’t tell mom and dad what happened but we still need to figure out what we’re doing about the gun.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“How can you say that?”

“I’m seeing my mom tomorrow.”

Glimmer scoffs, “no you’re not. She’ll just manipulate you again. Catra, I know you’d never do something like this unless you had to.”

“You don’t anything about me.”

Glimmer nods. “I don’t…but I want to.”

“Cut the crap. We both know you don’t want me here; your life has gone to hell since I came here and you resent me for it. The least you can do is be honest about it.”

“Catra—”

“I’m seeing my mom. I don’t have all the money so she’ll probably make me do another job before I can pay off my debt but it’s better than the alternative.”

“Catra—”

“Just,” she heaves out a breath “don’t tell your parents, okay? It’s the least you can do.”

“I saved you.”

“No!” Catra stands up. “You ruined everything. I had it handled until you and boy wonder ran in trying to save the day per usual. Well, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. You know what? I bet you will tell your parents just so they can kick me out.”

Glimmer says, “you can’t do this by yourself, you shouldn’t have to. That’s not how family works.”

Catra laughs darkly. “Yeah? Well, it’s a good thing we’re not family.”

Glimmer can only watch as Catra leaves her to her own devices.

7

The ride over the hill into Horde territory is much more tedious today. Time moves faster than usual but Catra’s body aches worse than it does on her bad days. Catra thinks the weight of the gun in her bookbag plays a big role with what she’s feeling but as she hands it over to her mother she realizes the weight is something else entirely.

“And, here’s the money. Half of it.”

Erma looks at her. “When you’re in school you don’t do half of your homework and expect to get all the credit, do you?”

Catra shakes her head. “No…but he said he’ll have double next week—”

“Fuck next week!” Erma shouts. “I gave you one easy job and you couldn’t even handle that. You really think Charles is going to hang around after you let him go with a slap on the wrist? And what does that say about me and the business I run? If people hear about how lenient I am…it’s just bad for business.”

Catra bows her head. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. No one else’s.”

Erma brushes some of Catra’s hair back with a seemingly loving touch. “I know, which is why you’ll be taking the punishment. I can’t let people think I have favorites. Not even with you.”

Catra holds her breath.

“Vinny, hold her down so I can—”

“You’re not touching a hair on her head!”

Catra starts. “Micah?”

Micah walks out from the woods with a friend in tow (some younger woman who kinda looks like him). “Don’t you dare mess with my—with Catra. Whatever game you’re using her as a pawn in is officially over.”

Erma stops him with a gun aimed their way. “And you are?”

“Someone who actually cares about her.” Micah digs out a wad of cash and throws it at Erma’s feet. “This is for the money Catra owes you from last night and a little extra to pay off her debt.”

Erma doesn’t move. “Even if you do pay me out, what’s to say I don’t just pay your family a little visit to take everything you have?”

Micah takes another step. “If you come near my family—”

A couple goons start closing in on them but the woman Micah brought with him makes a glittery seal (magic, Catra guesses) with her finger and pushes her hand through. Suddenly tree vines come up from the ground and encumber the approaching men.

“—I’ll do worse than restrain you.” Micah only looks away from Erma long enough to check on Catra. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah.”

Micah wraps an arm around her. “Let’s go home. We’re done here.”

They don’t get far enough before Erma fires the gun. Catra flinches but when nothing happens she looks up. The bullet is caught mid air by some strange invisible force field around them.

Micah turns around with a dark glare. “I put up a protection spell on myself and my entire family, including Catra, it stays up as long as I’m living. The next time you have a bullet and fire it, just be careful about it bouncing back at you.”

The girl with Micah says, “don’t mess with Bright Moon”, in parting.

With one more chilling glare Micah takes Catra home.

8

“I’m sorry.” Catra says for the tenth time since she’s been back. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved with her again.”

Angella rubs her shoulder softly. “It’s hard, especially with someone so close to you. But you’re the victim here and we won’t ever let her get to you again. We might have to think of a restraining order if she tries to contact you again.”

Catra turns to Micah, he’s sitting at the head of the table with his sister (she learned her name is Casta and she works with law enforcement). “You put a protection spell over me,” it’s not exactly a question.

Micah nods. “I put one on Angella and Glimmer years ago after the house was broken into. This way I can protect them even when we’re apart. I put one on you while you were sleeping, it’s—”

Catra makes a face. “Creepy.”

“I know.” Micah bows his head.

“But it saved my life so, thank you. Again. And I’ll pay you back for what you gave to Erma.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to. I’ll get a job and work to pay you back. I just, don’t want to owe anyone again.”

Micah understands. “Okay…but with family there are no debts. Not here at least.”

Angella says, “it’s been a long day. How about you go up to bed and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Catra hesitates before turning to Micah, “you know, for a guy with a pocket square and a handkerchief what you did was…pretty cool.”

She wants to hug him but thinks she’ll burst into tears again so she settles for an awkward goodbye wave. While she’s leaving the kitchen Catra hears Micah whisper with glee—

“She thinks I’m cool!”

9

“Hey.”

Catra’s surprised when she finds Glimmer sitting outside her room door on the floor. She drops her bag and slides down the wall beside her. “Hey.”

Glimmer plays with her hands nervously. “Are you mad at me? For telling mom and dad?”

“No. You did the right thing. Thank you.”

Glimmer has to ask, “what are you gonna do now? She’s still your mom.”

“No,” Catra realizes, “she hasn’t been for a long time.”

Glimmer keeps quiet.

“…you know, I texted her in the car on the way back with Micah and your aunt just about how I’m sorry, how things turned out, and she said it was okay but then she said I could make it up to her by taking on another job.” Catra blinks away the tears. “I told her I wasn’t down for it and she snapped at me. Sent me a long paragraph bashing me, saying stuff like _the least you can do is be useful for once instead of being a pain in my ass_. So, I guess she never loved me like I’d hoped.”

Glimmer wraps an arm around Catra’s shoulder. “I don’t know how I can help you…”

“Well,” Catra wipes her tears away with a sloppy laugh, “you’re actually here so that’s pretty great…for a rich academy kid.”

“And you’re pretty great…for Horde scum.” Glimmer mocks with a smile.

Catra’s laugh dies down quickly. “You are my witness. I’m blocking my—Erma’s, I’m blocking her number so she’ll never bother me again. For now on, I just want to have a boring uneventful summer vacation.”

“I love the sound of that. We can start tomorrow by being lazy and watching Netflix.”

Catra nods. “Let’s do it.”

“But,” Glimmer adds “I also wanna get to know you because you are family and…I know sometimes we don’t get to choose who but, I’m glad you’re in my life.”

Catra admits, “I guess it wouldn’t be terrible getting to know you, Sparkles.”

“That’s the spirit.” Glimmer nudges her. “How about we start with our favorite shows. Do you watch _Game of Thrones_?”

Catra scoffs. “Please, what even was that ending?”

Glimmer perks up. “Right? None of my friends watch it, too much blood and nudity, but the writing is amazing…up until those last few episodes. Man, I’ve been waiting years to talk about this with someone!”

“Well, it looks like winter is finally here for you.”

Glimmer swats at her. “Yes! Now we can have inside references!”

They stay on the floor outside Catra’s room for a while talking about their favorite parts of the show and long after, when Micah and Angella find then asleep by each other’s side, they’ve learned more about each other than they have in weeks. Catra rests, feeling lighter than she has in months, and when Glimmer wakes her up the next day for their morning jog to the track, Catra decides to ride this wave into the upcoming school year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be called One on One: Catra starts her first day at BMA and is all for keeping her head down until she remembers one critical detail she overlooked. So, one moment Catra’s walking into gym class and the next she's engaged in a heated basketball match with an old friend.


	3. ONE ON ONE!

CHAPTER THREE:

ONE ON ONE!

1

On the first day of school the manor is buzzing with energy. Micah and Angela, having been up since sunrise, skit around the house arranging their notes for the back to back meetings they have at their appointed jobs. Micah hunches over the table with a bagel half falling out of his mouth, writing quick notes in the corner of some medical intern review he’s processing, when he hears heavy footfalls from upstairs.

“And they’re up.” Micah mutters.

Angela purses her lips. “And they’re _late_.” She raises her voice, “hurry up ladies! It doesn’t look good to be late on the first day!”

Glimmer shouts back, “Catra won’t get out of the bathroom!”, with her toothbrush hanging out the side of her mouth.

Catra opens the door in record time. “All yours.”

Glimmer chokes, “what are you wearing?”

“This?” Catra does a mock spin. “As if I’d be caught dead in a preppy school girl uniform.” The school colors aren’t bad (red and black) but she can do without the skirt and Heather Chandler-like blazer. To avoid looking like an average cookie cutter student at BMA Catra made sure to swap the starchy blazer for a sleek black leather jacket to wear over her white dress shirt while forgoing the obnoxious black tie. She’d chucked the plaid skirt as well and swapped it for her best pair of black skinny jeans (and by best, she means the only ones without holes).

“I hate how it works for you…”

“I know right.” Catra grins. “I could help you out with yours if you want.”

Glimmer considers it. “...I can’t, the Headmistress is a real pain and has no favorites.”

“Five minutes ladies!”

Glimmer shoves her way to the sink to rinse. “Mom always freaks on the first day. Come on.”

Catra snags her brown shoulder bag before hustling down the spiral stairs with Glimmer close behind. The breakfast on the stove is tempting but Angela’s steady glare stops them. “Home cooked breakfast is for people who wake up on time.”

“ _Home cooked_ ,” Glimmer says as she routinely takes an apple from the open fruit basket on the kitchen granite countertop “when’s the last time I heard that.”

Micah clears his throat. “Doesn’t matter who made it.”

“Catra.” Angela does a double take. “What happened to your uniform?”

“Looks great right?”

“There is a specific dress code—“

Glimmer asks, “dad which car are you letting Catra and I take?”

“Why am I driving?”

Glimmer scoffs at Catra saying, “as if I’m riding to school with the Headmistress when you have a license. Dad, which car?”

“The BMW.”

Glimmer whines, “that old thing?”

“Wow. You sound like such a rich kid right now.”

“Take that back!”

“It’s true,” Catra sings as she swipes the BMW keys from off the rack. She slips out the front door with Glimmer on her heels.

“Take it back!”

Angela stutters, “Catra, wait, you can’t wear that! I’m the Headmistress, you’re living here, people are going to expect you to be dressed according to the rules—“

“What? Sorry, I can’t hear you over the wonderful sound of nature!”

Angela huffs at the closing door. “Can you believe this?”

Micah pointedly looks at the newspaper. Living with Angela and Glimmer for a handful of years he has learned not to get involved in squabbles like this. When Angela finally makes her way out the door after thirty more minutes of getting ready, and muttering about _jeans_ and _leather jackets_ , Micah drops the newspaper.

He sighs. “This is gonna be a long semester.”

2

BMA is a castle compared to Horde High. Catra drives up a winding pathway surrounded by a canopy of trees before she sees the BMA sign, shiny and pristine just like its students, and realizes this is the trail leading to the front entrance. She’s never felt this small before; like a fish in a large pond. The Horde was always packed tight, sure, but at least she knew most of the people who she bumped shoulders with.

When Catra walks into BMA the halls are wide, enough room that if she stretches out her arms they’ll never reach the crisply painted walls. Glimmer glides down the bright corridors with purpose while Catra grips at her shoulder bag to keep herself from spiraling. Glimmer’s going on about all the rooms they pass, they’ve just gone by the cooking room, but she’s talking so fast and it’s too much too soon and she thinks she might—

“Hey.” Glimmer says softly. She stopped walking so she could stare at Catra with those knowing eyes. They’ve had months of oversharing—living across the hall from someone will allow you to know a lot about them (even things Catra wished she’d never found out, like how Glimmer has weird dreams if she drinks chocolate milk before bed). “It’s a lot, but I promise you it’ll get better. You have me and Bow, and everyone else can’t wait to meet you.”

Catra lets out a breath. “...it smells like fresh paint.”

“Yeah, they put a fresh coat on every year before classes start back up.”

They start walking and Catra starts talking.

“At the Hord we’d only get our walls painted when someone defaced them with spray cans or tossed rotten eggs on them as a senior prank. It happened every last Friday of each semester; the senior prank.” Catra says, “do you know how bad fresh paint smells over rotten eggs on brick walls?”

Glimmer doesn’t have to answer.

“It’s not something you can forget.” The fresh paint of BMA’s walls reminds her of the rotten eggs until it’s all she can smell.

“Glimmer! Over here!” Bow calls them over once they get to the cafeteria. They have thirty minutes before classes begin so they usually hang out until the first warning bell.

Glimmer squeals, leaping into his arms like she hasn’t seen him two days ago. “Bow!”

“Hey Catra,” he gasps “you’re not wearing your uniform.”

Catra shrugs. “Skirts aren’t my thing.”

Bow laughs nervously. “This is fine, maybe they’ll let it slide because it’s your first day.”

“Let me slide? You’re the one showing off your stomach.”

Bow pointedly says, “anway, how crazy is this? We’re sophomores now! I feel like I was just a freshman a couple days ago.”

“Soon we’ll be seniors,” Glimmer gushes. “I can’t wait for college.”

Bow points behind him where a small group of more prep school teens are huddled together looking their way. They’re whispering to themselves and glancing at Catra too many times for it to be a coincidence. Bow notices when Catra starts fidgeting. “That’s just everyone, they’re really excited to meet you.”

“Are they.”

“Yeah,” Bow doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm but Glimmer mouths ‘ _be nice’_. “Mermista is on the swim team, not the same as track but she knows a few people on the track team she can introduce you to before you start training.” He guides her over to the watchful crowd. “Guys, this is Catra. Catra this is Mermista, Perfuma, Sea Hawk, and—”

“Catra?”

A fresh sun shower. Adora smells like rain and dirt. When they were little before Adora became popular and outspoken she’d follow Catra everywhere. Catra got up and just ran a lot no matter the weather; rain, snow, or sleet, people would always see Catra running and Adora chasing after her.

Adora smells like the rain on the night of October when Catra snuck out to run during one of her worst nightmares; Adora smells like the dirt caked on the bottom of their converse when they took one of the shortcuts in the park; Adora smells like their childhood no matter how tainted.

Catra wonders what she smells like. The gunpowder from the glock she used for one of her mothers dealings? Or is it the apple pie that tasted god awful but made with love from Angela?

Bow nods, “yeah this is Catra. She’s from the Horde, she living with—”

“Yep,” she cuts him off, “that’s me.”

“The Horde? I heard that place is pretty hard core.” Mermista says with a nod. “Sea Hawk didn’t you start a fire over there once?”

Sea Hawk laughs awkwardly when a couple of the faculty look their way. “Of course not…”

“Catra,” a tall blonde with more freckles than her grabs at her hands. “It’s so nice to meet you. Glimmer told us about you but she was stingy on the details. You have a very nice aurora.”

Catra’s ear twitches. “Uh, thank you?”

Glimmer senses Catra’s a second away from snapping so she gently pries Perfuma away from her. “Let’s give her some space guys.”

Adora stays back with that stupid suprised look on her face. She can see the surprise lifting, how Adora’s reaching out her hand, when the bell rings and gives Catra an escape. She slips out her schedule and pulls Glimmer with her. “Hey, be a good student body president and help me get to my class.”

Glimmer frowns. “I’m not the student body president.”

“Part of the student council welcoming committee?”

“...shut up and let me see the schedule.”

Catra’s neck burns as Adora stares a hole into it but she doesn’t turn back—she marches on into the wide halls of BMA. But the smell of paint isn’t strong enough to block out the lingering rain and dirt. Catra prefers the stench of rotten eggs.

3

Catra has lunch and English with Glimmer so when the afternoon hits she’s pretty much on her own. Glimmer has her other classes on the other side of the building so she gets Bow to show Catra to the rest of them. After she gets out of Advanced Calculus (why did she try and better herself by taking an upper level course?), Bow is dutifully waiting for her outside the door with a grin.

“Careful, your face might get stuck.”

Bow snorts. “That bad, huh?”

“I don’t even need this class, I’m already ahead with my math courses so I could skip taking one and save it for next semester.”

“But you don’t want a heavy workload with track.”

“I hate when you’re right.”

Bow bumps shoulders with her. “You’re almost done, we just have gym and then we can head to Moon’s and get some milkshakes. Once track starts your afternoons are gonna be gone so you have to enjoy them.”

“You play any sports?”

“I have a lot of brothers who do. They go to public school though.”

Catra frowns. “You didn’t want to join them?”

“BMA is the only school with an archery program and advanced engineering. I couldn’t turn it down.”

Catra nods, “yeah, I get what you mean.”

They stop when they get to the locker rooms. “I’ll see you on the other side?”

Catra groans. “Scale of one to shitty how bad is the gym class here? I don’t have to take any fitness test do I?”

Bow laughs. “No, gym is the only curriculum we lack in. Coach Huntara only cares about the softball and basketball team so she just lets everyone else walk the baseline or chill in the bleachers.”

It sounds like a great way to end a long day so Catra doesn’t make a fuss as she heads into the locker room. Catra’s locker is 318, finally on the top; she has always gotten the butt end of the bottom lockers. It especially sucks when someones getting their shit out of the locker above her.

Catra dumps her school bag in her locker and carefully hangs her leather jacket on the hook. She’s fishing out her gym clothes, a loose black tee and some gray sweatpants, when an awkward cough interrupts her.

Catra stares a second too long before saying, “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“...my locker is right beneath yours. Can I just get my bag?” Adora mutters.

“Be my guest.” Catra steps away and makes haste of her homemade uniform and changes into her gym clothes. The locker room is relatively crowded where they’re changing in the back row but the crowd clears up pretty quick; most of the girls crowd the bathroom to gossip—the less confident ones changing in the stalls.

Adora kneels to lace up her basketball shoes. She checks to make sure no one else is around. “What are you doing here?”

Catra frowns. “I go here asshole. I didn’t sneak in if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“No,” Adora has the nerve to look guilty. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean how are you here? The only way you get into BMA is if you’re exceptional.”

“And I’m not?”

Adora shakes her head so fast Catra’s worried it might sip off. “I didn’t—“

Catra slams her locker shut. “I drove here. That’s all you need to know.”

“Hey come on, you know it’s not like that,” Adora huffs. She’s looking up at Catra with her eyebrows pinched. Catra can’t stand it—she’s drowning in rain and dirt—so she darts away. Adora complains, “hey—Catra! Wait!”

Catra runs and Adora follows. It’s an old game, Catra hasn’t played in a while, but she thinks she loses Adora in the crowd. But Adora has a home court advantage. She pops out from seemingly nowhere and walks alongside Catra as if Catra hadn’t spent days over the summer waiting for Adora to reach out to her. 

“I just want to talk.”

“A little too late don’t you think?”

A sharp whistle saves Catra from this painful conversation. Coach Huntara is a stocky woman with sharp eyes and a slanted grin. She cocks her arm up on the basketball beneath the pit of her arm as she surveys her class for the year. “Alright I’ve only got two rules. What happens in gym class stays in gym class. And number two, don’t bother me.”

Catra likes her already.

Huntara nods at Adora. “Ponytail, catch.” She does a solid chest pass that makes Adora lose her footing a bit. “Alright, I’ll be in my office, try not to kill each other.” She blows her whistle to commence the start of class before locking herself up in her office as promised.

Catra decides to walk the baseline to get her legs shaken out for the workout she’ll have with Micah later today. “Do you have to walk so loud?”

“I don’t walk loud.” She can hear the pout in Adora’s voice. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true. Everything you do is loud.”

Adora comes up beside her. “No way. I’d get up every morning to look over game plays and I’d never wake you.”

Catra rolls her eyes. “Of course you woke me up I just didn’t tell you so you wouldn’t feel—“

“Hey guys!” Bow jogs up to them. “Adora, I didn’t know you had gym this period.”

Adora nods. “I had to switch things around and this works out better. But Glimmer wasn’t too happy when I had to switch out of the art class I had with her. Now we only have lunch and Spanish.”

Catra’s lunch schedule doesn’t align with Bow or Glimmer’s so to avoid the awkward loner sitting at a random table routine, she spends lunch in the library. She prefers it over the loud cafeteria.

Bow mentions, “Catra’s actually really good at art. She does this cool abstract stuff but likes to mess around and draw random doodles—“

“On desks,” Adora smiles, wistful. “...yeah, I remember.”

Bow frowns. “You do? I don’t remember telling you that but I guess you just have a solid memory. Those crossword puzzles with Razz must be paying off.”

Adora asks, “is that why you’re here? For the art program?”

“She’s here on a track scholarship.”

Catra hisses, “Bow!”

“What? It’s awesome, you should tell people about it.”

Adora gapes. “ _Track_?”

“What of it?”

Adora shakes away her awe and grins. Her eyebrows are doing that thing where they pinch in—it pulls at Catra’s stomach. She’s sure the feeling is going to consume her; acting on instinct, Catra reverts back to her old lessons. She snatches the ball from Adora’s hand. “And what about you? Still chasing fantasies about swords and talking horses?”

“Swift Wind is real! Right Bow? You’ve seen him.”

“...I believe that _you_ believe he can talk.”

“He’s just shy around new people. But he talks!”

Catra mutters, “at least someone does.”

“Catra—“

“It’s fine. I’m over it.”

“There was a lot—“

“Going on?” Catra thinks about the events of her summer and laughs. “You’re not the only one...but the difference between you and me is that I actually show up. I don’t break promises.”

Adora flinches. She glances at Bow who’s the confused third party stuck in their little affair. “Can we talk about this?”

“No. You can’t just decide when you want me around.” Catra shoves the ball back into Adora’s hand.

“Let’s play then.” Adora says after a tense moment. “If I win you have to talk to me.”

Catra gives, “and what do I get?”

“What do you want?”

“...a rain check.”

Bow stutters, “hey wait a second…”

But there’s nothing stopping Adora when she nods in agreement. They get to an empty court and Adora checks the ball to Catra. “First to five wins. Every basket counts as one, no three pointers or twos.”

“I know the rules Adora.”

“And you break them anyway.”

Catra chuckles at that. “Your ball first.”

The game starts off simple but nothing is ever simple for them and it picks up when Adora scores the first basket, a quick jump shot in Catra’s face; she takes advantage of the extra height. When Adora scores another easy jumper she clips Catra’s shoulder, “is that all you’ve got? If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’ve gotten soft.”

Going soft was a term coined by the Horde for people who lost their edge. Back then, when they were kids, they’d see people get decked in the face for calling someone soft. There was nothing soft about the Horde—it’s a grotesque place, or at least that’s the way Catra used to see it. Maybe that’s how Adora saw it too and maybe it’s why it was so easy for her to leave everything behind. But Catra knows the people who live in the Horde: Kyle, Lonnie, DT, Rogelio, they’re worth it and there’s no way Catra’s leaving them behind.

Catra steps up her game, can see the way Adora flinches at the steaming look Catra must be radiating. Adora tries to get another shot in but Catra ups her defense, plats her feet and shuffles wherever Adora goes—left, right, left, right, up, block—until she steals the ball. Catra touches the half court line before she runs past Adora and goes up for an easy lay up.

Adora grabs the forgone ball and meets her back at the top of the court. She checks the ball back over and nervously laughs, “okay, you’re not soft.”

Catra says, “you don’t have the right to even think about using that word.” It trips Adora up and allows Catra to cross her up before taking a jump shot. When it goes in she thinks she hears a chant from somewhere in the gym but she’s too focused on Adora. Adora and that stupid surprised look on her face.

“I’m from the Horde too. Just because I left doesn’t mean I don’t care, you left too, so you have to understand. How are we different?”

“I’m nothing like you.” Catra snaps. “I actually give a shit about them. You just turned your back on us like it was nothing, we tried to reach out to you for weeks but we got _nothing_...so don’t expect me to just ignore everything you’ve done just because I go to some prep school with you.” Catra runs a hand through her bangs and barks out a hoarse laugh. “You always do this. Whenever we’d fight—whenever it was your fault you’d act like nothing happened. Like you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Adora frowns. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk, you never talked to me about anything. You just let things build up until you were screaming at me. I’d try to talk to you but you’d just blow me off or leave to go for a jog so I didn’t see the point of trying.”

“Don’t act all innocent. I know you don’t care about—“

“I do care!” Adora’s voice cracks at the seams but it doesn’t deter Catra.

“Then where were you?” Catra’s nails dig into the stiff rubber of the ball but it’ll take more than that to chip her claws. “Where were you when Kyle got rejected from a foster family because Weaver made up some bull shit about him being trouble just to keep him around for the checks? Where were you when Lonnie couldn’t go to the hospital when she _tripped_ down the stairs and Weaver didn’t want her to draw attention? Or when DT almost died from pills? Or when I—“

Adora shakes her head, her face white. “Catra...what happened to you?”

Catra laughs rough and cold just like the Horde taught her. She slams the ball back into Adora’s shaky hands and backs away to get back on defense. She’s so frazzled she almost forgets it’s supposed to be her ball. “Wouldn’t you like to know. I bet it just kills you not being able to fix everything, huh.”

“Catra.”

“Let’s just finish the stupid game. I don’t like to talk about things, remember? All I like to do is bottle them up and scream.” Catra snatches the ball, “next point wins.” She’s done talking.

Catra dribbles between her leg and bounces off her foot to race for the basket. She just wants this game to be over so she can go back to ignoring Adora the way it should be; she doesn’t deserve to have Catra in her life. She’s not a toy Adora gets to play with and put away when she’s bored.

Running high on emotions she’s almost blind to Adora in her side view. Catra slams down onto the floor of the gym when Adora bumps her while trying to steal the ball. A loud _smack_ echoes in the gym; several gasps, hushed and loud, follow. Catra cradles her leg, she looks around and sees a crowd of students standing along the baseline. Had they been watching the whole time? That’s so embarrassing.

“Catra!” Glimmer shoves through the crowd and kneels beside her to inspect her ankle. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”

“Glimmer? You don’t have this class.”

“Can you walk?”

Catra leans against Glimmer’s shoulder as she’s assisted off the ground. Catra tests her leg without letting go of Glimmer’s shoulder. She takes a few cautious steps before letting go. “Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”

“You’re here on an _athletic_ scholarship! You need to be careful.”

Catra rolls her eyes. “Alright, I said I’m sorry. Don’t make such a fuss.”

“Too late for that,” Glimmer mutters to herself. Catra looks up at the crowd again. She spots a group of girls clad in their preppy skirts that pass as uniforms here— _they’re not in this class_ she realizes. Another quick survey and she notices a lot of people are here, some who probably snuck in after getting a text from their friends about the girl from the Horde going up against She Ra.

“I told you She Ra would take her out.”

“Are you crazy? She’s like a foot shorter than her and she was able to land some shots. And she’s _fast_.”

“I heard she’s from the Horde.”

“That place over the tracks? Isn’t that a really scary neighborhood?”

Glimmer flicks at Catra’s ear with a scowl, “so much for not making a scene.”

“It’s not my fault!” Catra’s about to start one of her rants when squeaky shoes against the gym floor brings every to a shush. The crowd parts as Coach Huntara comes out from her office with a scowl.

Huntara groans, “great, now I have to fill out an incident report.”

Adora shuffles over to her coach and speaks to her in a hushed whisper. Catra’s ears flick in their direction so she can catch the conversation. “...don’t blame Catra, it was my fault, I asked her to go against me. I take full responsibility.”

Catra’s nails bite into her palms. She steps forward with a snarl. “I don’t need you protecting me, I’ll accept whatever punishment there is.” It can’t be worse than what they do to them at Horde High.

Hunatara mutters, “stupid lovers quarrel.”

“ _What_?”

“Here’s what’s happening kids. I usually don’t care what goes on but because several of you posted this incident all over social media, now the Headmistress has to get involved. And because you broke one of my simple rules, next class you’ll all be running laps.” A chorus of groans follows. “Yeah, I know, you’ll actually have to exercise in gym class...this is what happens when you break my rules. Ponytail, Cat ears—”

Catra scoffs.

“To the Headmistresses office, now.”

4

“You’ve caused a riot?”

Catra sinks into the comfy chair in Angela’s office. “It wasn’t a riot.”

“The students were placing bets!”

Catra perks up. “Who’d the majority vote for?”

Angela glares at her.

“...kidding.”

“Catra,” Angela rubs her temple and goes to sit at the big chair behind her polished copper desk. “This is your first day and you’ve already violated several of the school policy bylaws. Dress code violation, vandalism of school property, engaging in illegal gambling—“

Catra huffs, “I have the right to not want to wear a skirt and it wasn’t complete vandalism...I was able to get most of the ink off the desk. And it’s not my fault they started placing bets, how is that my fault?”

Adora clears her throat. “I’m so sorry Headmistress, I know it doesn’t make up for everything that’s happened but...I do value this school and what it stands for. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t be a part of what’s building here.”

Catra rolls her eyes. “Suck up.”

“Am not.”

“Are to.”

Adora shoves her so Catra shoves back. Soon they’re pushing at each other and getting involved in a heated wrestling match.

“Enough!” Angela shouts and it breaks them apart. “Do I have to separate you two?”

“Yes,” Catra all but begs.

“Well too bad, I’m sentencing you to clean up duty. Catra I know you have track after school and Adora you also have your extracurriculars but they don't start until later in the semester so you two will be free to clean up the gym after school starting tomorrow. Coach Huntara will be overseeing your punishment.”

Catra groans. “For how long?”

“How ever long it takes for you two to get along. Now, the day is over and I have a lot of paperwork to fill out thanks to you two. And Catra,” she meets her eyes “we’ll talk about this more when we get home.”

Catra avoids the look Adora sends her when they’re on their way out. She manages to slip away through the crowd before Adora can ask any questions.

5

The drive back to the house is quiet, it surprises Catra because she was sure Glimmer would want to know every detail of what happened today but instead she just looks off at the passing trees. When they get to the house it’s empty; Angela is still at the school and Micah is at the hospital helping out. Glimmer grabs a carton of ice cream and two spoons and silently goes up to Catra’s room. They sit on the bed like that for a long time; just sharing the ice cream and fighting through the brain freezes. The silence doesn’t last for long.

“Bow texted me about the fight you had with Adora so I headed to the gym to see what was going on.” Glimmer looks up. “She knew you before Bow finished introducing you to everyone. Didn’t she?”

Catra nods.

“Why didn’t you want Adora knowing you live here? Are we really that awful?” It’s a joke but Glimmer’s voice shakes at the last minute.

Catra abandons the ice cream and flips on her back to stare up at the ceiling. “I love it here...I just...Adora and I were like you and Bow. The best of friends. The first memory I have is of her. When she left we kept in touch for a while but then she ghosted everyone—me. She left us behind and that sucks.”

Glimmer says “...Adora hasn’t had it easy on her part either—hear me out—there’s a lot about this school that you don’t understand yet. There are people who want to take this magic from us and it’s our job to protect it. Adora’s a special case, I won’t say much because it’s not my place but...she doesn’t have a choice.”

Catra scoffs. “Everyone has a choice.”

“Life isn’t black and white, you know that.” Glimmer claps her hands. “But anyway...let’s get off this dreary topic and talk about something a lot more fun. I’m throwing a party.”

“Uh, last time we went to a party it didn’t end so well.”

“This is different, mom and dad planned it weeks ago. It’s really Mermista’s birthday party but we’re having it on my yacht so technically…”

“You guys have a yacht?”

“Yeah,” Glimmer smiles. “So we have to go shopping tomorrow, the party is this weekend.”

“Why am I just hearing about this actually no, I’m not going, I hate water.”

“Mermista wanted to meet you first, she loves you by the way—adores the bad girl thing you have going on—and the yacht won’t even be moving. We'll be at the dock. Come on it’ll be so much fun!”

Catra groans. “I don’t have a choice do I?”

“Everyone has a choice.”

“Don’t use my own words—fine! Whatever I’ll go.”

Glimmer squeals. “You won’t regret it, I promise!”

Somehow Catra doubts it.

6

On the other side of the tracks in Horde territory Erma plans for an uprising. She walks around inspecting the shipments a couple of her guys brought in this morning when Elahji, her right hand, comes up beside her. “You better have good news EJ.”

He lowers his voice, these woods have ears in high and low places. “The crowd is getting restless, Erma. They’re starting to doubt that you’re the one who can take us back from this fall from grace.”

“What’s the major concern?” One step at a time her mother always said.

“Catra...they don’t trust she’s useful to us anymore and the more time she spends in enemy territory…”

“I got it.”

“You need to set an example. Just, don’t overdo it this time.”

Erma brushes past him and stops at the clearing where there’s a high rise in the ground, it lets her overlook them all. She whistles sharp through her teeth and calls them to attention. “Listen up you lot. The plan is proceeding perfectly, there’s no suggestion box so keep your comments to yourself. Just get the shipments I send out. Do your jobs, nothing more and nothing less will be tolerated.”

“What about the kid?”

Erma snaps, “leave her to me.”

“We need to cut her loose.” A new guy, Eddie, who doesn’t know how the game works says “she’s living with the _queen_. If they haven’t brainwashed her already then they’re sure as hell about to. You need to set an—“

The revolver pulls in a split second and in the next Eddie is dropping to the floor knees first. The gun shot spooks the birds and goons alike; if the men could they’d be flying for the hills too but fear keeps them in place. Erma lowers her glock and looks down at Eddie’s lifeless eyes as if she’s shopping for flowers in a store. She turns back to the rest of her crew when the sight begins to bore.

“Let me repeat myself because it seems like none of you seem to understand.” Erma slips her glock into the belt of her jeans without looking away from her crew. “Leave Catra alone. She’s with the princesses because that’s where I want her to be.”

Elahji speaks for them all. “Of course, Erma.”

She takes one last look until she’s satisfied. “Good. Roll out at sunset to get the entail on this crystal cave, if it’s the real deal then this war is ours. Don’t disappoint me.” Erma skulks away without a look back, she steps over Eddie’s warm corpse on her way out—he’s nothing but dirt and soot beneath her heels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I just finished my last Biochem exam a while ago and I’m exhausted and I know I have to update "It’s (you’re) Different" but I was rereading this and I was like damn this was pretty good so here we are. Sorry if it’s been a while but that’s life. I'll update my other story next week because it's the Holiday and I'll have a lot of free time but if I don't update this one by then, have a great break everyone!
> 
> Also on a side note: I'm upping the rating to M because I use a lot of swear words (and there is a lot of violence) but there won’t be any smut or anything in this story. Not from my precious little beans! Like they're in high school so no.


	4. CRYSTAL CAVE!

CHAPTER FOUR:

CRYSTAL CAVE!

1

The detention groove is not Catra’s thing, and based on what Huntara has them doing she wouldn’t even classify it as detention. Huntara oversees her and Adora’s  _ punishment _ (a better way to describe it) after school by giving them busy work in the gym; like cleaning up leftover equipment students forgot to put away or scraping gum off the bleacher seats while Huntara takes a nap in her office. Each day they head to the gym but today, on Catra’s 4th day in hell, Huntara switches it up and locks her and Adora up in some empty classroom. It’s another major pain in her ass because at least in the gym she could avoid Adora’s hopeful gaze but in a classroom there’s nowhere to run.

“What are we supposed to do in here?” Catra raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t care.” Huntara looks like she wants to snap her neck; she quickly grew tired of Catra’s witty remarks and passive commentary. “I honestly didn’t think this punishment thing would last this long...and I’ve run out of work to give you two.”

Catra takes out a water bottle from her shoulder bag. “Why can’t we just stay in the gym then?”

“Because,” Huntara’s eye actually twitches “apparently the headmistress forgot that basketball tryouts are today and as the head coach I sort of have to be there so, priorities. And I don’t need you brats having another lovers quarrel—“

Catra chokes on her water.

“—while my girls are working on their jump shots.”

Catra ignores the middle bit because, like, one thing at a time, and contemplates using this situation as blackmail. It’s pretty irresponsible on Huntara’s part to leave them unsupervised but then again this is a golden opportunity for Catra so she keeps her mouth shut.

“Of course,” Adora speaks for the both of them.

Huntara doesn’t look convinced but she slips out and leaves them to their own devices. It only takes five seconds before she’s peeking her head back in to say “don’t kill each other” before she’s gone for good.

Catra slumps into a seat in the far back left corner where she can prop her elbow up on the vents lined across the windows while Adora awkwardly sits in the front closest to the door. Adora doesn’t try to talk to her like she has during their previous detention dates this past week and Catra’s grateful for it (she’s harder to avoid than she thought).

But she doesn’t dwell on her complicated past with Adora, instead she pays attention to the time. 

She gets a text from Lonnie a couple minutes later and  _ shit  _ she forgot to put her phone on silent and now Adora’s looking at her over her shoulder. Catra glares until Adora is rolling her eyes and turning back around to mind her business. Catra grumbles a spew of profanity beneath her breath and puts her phone on silent to prevent future disruptions.

_ Lonnie [poop emoji]:  _

_ (3:30 pm) [location drop] _

_ (3:30 pm) you still stopping by for my mixer ??? _

_ Catra [cat emoji]:  _

_ (3:31 pm) I can only hang out for like thirty minutes, I’m in detention but the teacher left us alone in the classroom. Just gotta be back by 5 _

_ Lonnie [poop emoji]:  _

_ (3:32 pm) us ? _

_ Catra [cat emoji]:  _

_ (3:32 pm) A is here. We caused a scene in gym so now Angela is punishing me _

_ Lonnie [poop emoji]: _

_ (3:33 pm) [read] _

Catra looks at the clock again, fifteen minutes have passed with no sign of Huntara so she gets her stuff and heads for the door.

“Where are you going?” Adora frowns. She’s leaning most of her upper body on the narrow desk with her feet bracing the floor like she’s ready to pounce at any second.

Catra snaps, “none of your business.”

“Catra come on,” Adora stands up and tries to use her height as a scare tactic but it only riles Catra up more. “We’re already in trouble, I don’t know what you’re planning but I know it’ll just make everything worse.”

“You’re so paranoid. I’m not planning anything, Huntara isn’t coming back until 5. She loves that team more than she loves her workout equipment. I’m just slipping out for a couple of minutes but I’ll be back before she notices.”

Adora blocks the door. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.” Catra snaps, “no one will want you there.”

Adora’s eyebrows do that stupid thing where the knit together. “Where are you going?”

“...Lonnie’s having a small mixer in the woods with some friend she made over here. I’m just stopping by.”

“I’m going.”

“Please, you really think Lonnie wants you there?”

“She’s my friend.”

“Oh yes,” Catra smirks “the friend you didn’t keep in contact with over the summer because you were too busy messing around with a stupid sword. Actually, you know what? You can tag along, it'll be fun to see Kyle fail to hold Lonnie back from knocking the shit out of you.”

Adora grabs her shoulder when she goes for the door again. Catra whips around with a hiss, “what, already changed your mind?” She slaps the hand off her shoulder while she’s at it.

Adora smirks. “You wish. I was going to say we should go out the window and try to avoid the cameras in the hallway.”

“Good idea.” Catra brushes past her. “But you’re still—“

“An idiot. I know.” Adora’s smile is too fond for her liking.

“As long as you know it.”

2

Erma gets to the crystal cave while the sun is still in the sky, she brings five of her goons along to help her scope out the scene. She leaves two of them by the entrance just in case there’s trouble while the other three follow her inside the cave. The tracking device (courtesy of the lab technicians) detects any magic within a reasonable range, the screen has been glowing bright green the moment they stepped into the woods and it only amplifies as she steps deeper into the cave.

“What’s the plan?” Elahji asks when he and Erma are a good distance away from the two goons trailing behind.

“The heart of Etheria is our priority. Once we extract the magic we can turn this war around.”

Elahji shakes his head. “I can’t believe it’s been here this whole time. Why haven’t the princesses used it?”

“It doesn’t matter, none of it will matter once we have the heart and then on the day of the eclipse we’ll bring back  _ our  _ queen. See how Angela likes it.”

Elahji is about to ask another question when the tracker starts flashing and vibrating as they reach the end of the tunnel. Erma blocks the blinding light with her free hand and blindly walks into it.

3

“So…”

Catra groans. “We don’t have to talk, you know. I’d actually prefer it if we didn’t.”

“Can you just forget that you’re mad at me? Just for a second.” Adora steps out in front of her and smiles, “you’re  _ here _ . On a track scholarship of all things.”

“Yeah, so?” Catra gets more than a little defensive.

“Nothing...it’s great but I thought you’d get in for your artwork.”

Catra surprises her with a laugh. “That’s part of how it happened.” She doesn’t think Catra’s going to tell her the rest of the story and it’s completely fair—she gets why Catra is so hostile with her—but then Catra keeps talking. Her expression is wistful. “Micah caught me spray painting Glimmer’s old club house and I was able to outrun him. He said it was impressive and showed up the next day at the orphanage and the rest is history.”

It’s everything, the way Catra opens up to her. Adora never thought she’d get the opportunity to see this side of her again; and maybe she’s selfish but she reaches out for more.

“...you live with Glimmer’s family now.”

Catra glares at her. “It’s none of your business but yeah, I do.”

Adora snickers. “I really can’t believe you and Glimmer are sisters; I can’t see you two getting along.”

Catra looks away. When she speaks again her voice is reserved, careful. “We didn’t at first. I don’t know how it happened but...she’s not as annoying as I thought she was.”

Adora rolls her eyes.

“What?” Catra looks over her shoulder to ask.

“Your tsundere is showing.”

Catra shoves her. “Shut up!”

Adora laughs. “Wow, your face is so red right now.”

“Shut up, Adora,” she huffs all red in the face. She stomps forward with the direction of the GPS while Adora slowly falls out of her fit of laughter. It puts her at ease, this little lapse in time; it clouds her thinking and muffles reality. Adora bumps into Catra’s back in her distraction.

“Sorry,” she mutters.

Catra’s gone stiff. “...what is she up to now?”

Adora glances over Catra’s shoulder to see what has her so spooked. “Is that your—“

“ _ Erma _ .” Just below the ledge they’ve been trailing is Erma and a couple other rugged looking guys talking quietly outside the opening of a cave that’s cloaked with leaves and branches. Erma goes inside the cave with three men while the other two stay outside with their guns in hand. “Damn it, why is she always doing something sketchy.” Catra mutters. She shoves her phone into her pocket and jogs in the opposite direction of where the party likely is.

Adora catches up to her and asks, “where’re you going?”

“There’s gotta be a back entrance.”

“Wait a second.” Adora steps in front of her with her arms stretched out. “What’s going on?”

Catra snaps, “I don’t know but it can’t be anything good if she’s involved.”

Adora shakes away the shock (back when they were kids Catra idolized her mother), she’s not accustomed to the loathing dripping from Catra tongue. “She’s your mom—“

“She’s not. Not anymore. She lost that right.”

Adora has so many questions but she isn’t sure how Catra will react to them so she squashes it down. She starts with something easy. “Do you even have a plan? You can’t just run in there, Catra, they have guns!”

“And I have an idiot blonde with a magic sword.” Catra shrugs. “Seems like a fair fight.”

Adora’s surprised Catra even remembers the  _ one  _ time she mentioned the sword. It was over the summer break right before high school, one of the last conversations they had before Adora sacrificed her friends in order to focus on training. “...I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Catra almost topples over. “ _ What _ ? Adora, it’s been two years and you still haven’t activated the sword?”

“Can you lower your voice?” Adora huffs, face red with embarrassment. “And even if I could activate the sword it wouldn’t do us any good. I don’t have it on me.”

Catra raises an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“School policy.” Adora defends herself.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. We don’t have to fight them,” she can see the inkling of a plan being molded in that beautiful mind “we just need to see what she’s up to, take a couple pictures, get some raw evidence so we can take it to Micah.”

Adora frowns. “Glimmer’s dad? How can he help?”

“He might be a doofus, but he has experience dealing with Erma. And involving the police has never helped anyone. So,” Catra holds out her hand “can we call a truce until we figure this out?”

Adora frowns. “I was never fighting against you—“

Catra glares at her.

“—but okay,” Adora shoves her hand forward and gives a firm shake “truce.”

They’ve always made a great team.

4

The cave is desolate and dark with concave walls that seemingly close in on them, it smells like old swamp water and murky dirt. It reminds Adora of the dirt that used to cake up on the bottom of their shoes when they’d run around in the park after a storm. Catra uses the flashlight on her phone and leads the way, but Adora knows she’s doing it as a courtesy to her; she’s seen the abilities Catra carries with her unique species and seeing in the dark is not outside the frame of possibility.

“Hey,” Catra’s voice sounds too loud but, in reality, it’s just above a whisper “look, drawings on the wall.” There are, in fact, drawings—etched in some dark burgundy paint—depicting stories of the past. Adora moves closer, squinting in the dim light, but she can’t make out much; there are figures gathered on the left of the wall with glowing hands, they’re facing the right but nothing’s there.

“Who’re they fighting?” Adora frowns.

Catra is quiet all of a sudden. She stretches out her hand and moves it a couple inches to the right so Adora can see what Catra has probably already seen (maybe Catra has already processed it all). “Them.”

The light reveals the rest of the story, the foes of those on the left—they don’t have weapons. But they don’t need any. On the far right there are creatures with pointy ears, curled tails, and sharp claws dripped with the blood of their enemies.

“Me…” Catra’s voice sounds so far away. Adora wishes she could see the look on her face but even then Catra’s still hard to read. “They’re fighting me.”

Adora frowns. “That’s not you.”

“My ancestors...me...it’s all the same.”

“The war,” Adora realizes “this is what Razz was talking about.”

“You knew?” Some emotion leaks from her voice but Catra doesn’t lash out, doesn’t even turn around. She keeps looking up, far above the light of her phone.

Adora shakes her head. “Not the whole story, no. Razz only mentioned a war for Etheria, for the magic, but she never told me who was fighting for it.”

“We both were.”

“Catra, are you okay?”

“Have you ever wondered why we met?” Catra asks out of nowhere. “And everything else leading up to our falling out...we were so close and then, in an instant, it was all torn apart so easily.”

Catra raises her arm up to reveal another piece of the puzzle.

“Have you ever wondered why it was so easy for us to be at odds with each other?”

Adora almost falls over at the sight—at what Catra hasn’t taken her eyes off since they noticed the wall. Above the armies fighting below are two deities, monarchs for each side, floating high above the rest pushing forward like they’re about to clash. On the right is a looming warrior dressed in a simple tunic and long pants, it’s a far cry away from the shining armor their opponent wears on the left. Adora hates herself for wondering which side is the light and which is the dark—hates herself for living in the black and white. That’s how they differ, Adora has always seen good and bad while Catra has been able to see beyond it.

“You against me.”

Adora snaps out of it. “What are you talking about?”

Catra points to the deity on the right. “She looks just like me,” then she points to the deity on the left “tell me that doesn’t look like you.” The woman is significantly taller than her opponent, with long hair pulled into a ponytail with a very familiar weapon stretched out. “I haven’t seen it before but that’s your sword, isn’t it?”

“This doesn’t mean anything.”

“What else do you know?”

Adora racks her brain. “Nothing...I know my mother had She Ra’s power, and that she was fighting with the alliance to stop the Lost Ones but I never thought—“

“I’d be your enemy.” Catra traces the outline of the deity that looks just like her. “That I’d be a Lost One...maybe that’s not even the correct term, just a name your people branded us with to atone for your lack of understanding.”

“Catra,  _ you’re  _ my people.”

Catra turns around, her eyes are an empty shell...nothing but a faraway gaze. “Am I?”

Adora swallows down something heavy. “Of course.”

“You just said Mara fought with the alliance, that Razz wants you to do the same. Seems like you’ve already picked a side.”

Adora snaps. “There are no sides!” The walls shake with her declaration, it’s so strong it pulls at her chest, so familiar it tugs at her brain.  _ Have they talked about this before? _

“It’s all on the walls, Adora.” Catra gestures behind her. “You deciding to carry out the plans Mara made is just repeating the cycle.”

Adora takes her hand. “Catra...we’re not them. We don’t even know what any of this means, it could just be random drawings that some bored kids drew.”

“Maybe,” Catra mutters, “or...maybe it means we were always meant to be enemies.”

“No.” Adora shakes her head. “We protected each other, you’re the first memory I’ve ever had, we were best friends—“

“And look how that story turned out, Adora.” There is no animosity, Catra’s face is startling and void in a way Adora doesn’t recognize. “History always repeats, right?”

Adora refuses to believe it.

Suddenly an explosion goes off causing the foundation to shake and wither, rocks come tumbling down from the ceiling, the floor begins to cave in on itself forming craters. A large stone comes their way, and Adora might not be able to activate the sword but she has excelled in the training Razz has put her through. Adora pushes them to safer ground just barely avoiding the hit. They land a couple feet away from the rubble with Adora packed on top of Catra—closer than they’ve been in months.

Adora unconsciously presses Catra further into the rock and stone beneath them, and even as the world seems to fall apart around them Adora stays put. Her eyes feel hot (Catra gasps in surprise, but Adora is too determined to get side tracked). “Whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with us, Catra. We get to make our own decisions, our own mistakes, but we’re not influenced by our ancestors.”

Catra snarls, “how can you say that? Your whole position in this fight is based on what your mentor has told you—based on what the others have done in the past.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m not,” Catra snaps. “How are you any different? What makes you so special?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Adora’s voice cracks, “never again.”

Another rock falls from the ceiling, Adora sees it from the corner of her eye, but Catra rolls them over and out of the way.

Catra climbs off her and then helps her up. “...you promise?”

Adora almost cries. “I promise.”

It snaps something out of Catra, suddenly the glaze fades out of her eyes and when they come back they’re filled with intent. Catra looks at her for a moment longer and then nods. She surveys the ruble around them, “we should probably get out of here before this place collapses on top of us.”

Adora smiles. “But we’re not doing that.”

“Of course not,” Catra snorts.

“Catra…” she doesn’t want to disrupt whatever wounds they’ve managed to heal but she needs to know. “You said your mom was up to some shady dealings, but this goes far beyond the pay grade for a common criminal. The energy pulsing from the walls—it’s magic based.”

Catra huffs, “yeah so? Erma’s a bigger asshole than I anticipated so what?”

“Whatever she’s trying to get her hands on, she can’t. She shouldn’t have this kind of power who knows what she’ll use it for. I know you care about her—“

“Spare me the speech, I’ve already burned that bridge.” Catra looks away from her gaze. She sighs, “maybe I’ll fill you in about my crap of a summer but for now let’s just stop her. Okay?”

Adora hesitates. “I’m all for it but what can we do? I don’t have my sword remember?”

“We’re from the Horde, Adora. We’ll make due.”

“Catra…”

“ _ Adora _ ,” she has that smile, the one she wore whenever she had a delicious prank planned out for Kyle. “Trust me.”

5

The back exit of the cave is blocked off with stone from the blast, leaving them with fewer options. Catra lets Adora lead the way, she has more experience with this magic stuff and if she was able to feel it on the walls then it’s possible she can guide them to its source. To Erma. Catra knows the trepidation Adora has about getting involved when they’re defenseless but Catra saw the electric blue, somewhat of a temporary spark, in Adora’s eyes when she saved her from getting stoned. She may not have the sword but, for some reason, Catra doesn’t think she needs it.

Call it intuition.

Adora stops them when they get to an open clearing, a bright light keeps her at bay but Catra pushes forward. “Catra wait...”

“Erma!” Catra shouts, stepping out of hiding. The three goons spin around with their weapons raised, they’re surrounding Erma who has her hands stretched out to the power source that’s floating above her head. One of the goons shoots at her.

“Catra!” Adora screams when she hears the shot go off. She runs over and checks her for any injury with trembling hands, she’s too shaken up to notice that Catra isn’t hunching over or gripping at her chest. She’s just standing. “Are you okay?”

Catra grins, cheeky. “Protection spell, courtesy of Micah.” She nods over to where the goon who fired the gun is flat on his back, gurgling in a pool of his own blood, from the bullet that bounced back at him.

“That’s convenient.” Adora laughs but she still looks shaken.

The two other goons keep their distance so Catra looks back to Erma. “Just what are you planning? First you’re a drug dealer and now you’re some kind of witch?”

Adora grips her chest when a pulse of magic slips out from the barrier Erma is trying to encase it in. “You shouldn’t be doing this.”

Catra steps in front of Adora and asks, “what are you doing, Erma?”

“There’s a lot I have to tell you.”

“Just answer the question!”

Erma doesn’t look away from her task. “I’m just trying to take what’s ours. Catra, you don’t understand and that’s my fault for not explaining it all to you but, Adora isn’t who you think she is—“

“I know all about She Ra...”

“—and neither are you.”

Catra frowns. “What are you…”

“Look out, Catra!”

Catra is blindsided by one of the goons; knowing he can’t use weapons on her, he grabs Catra by the collar of her shirt and drags her over to the cave ledge. She extends her claws and digs them into skin, harder than she’s ever done. “You bitch!” It’s the motivation he needs to drop her off the ledge.

“Hey..!” Catra growls, digging her claws into the cave wall to keep herself from falling to her doom on sharp rocks littering the cave floor. She grunts, “dude...that’s  _ super  _ disrespectful to women!”

There’s a sharp scream from the clearing but Catra’s too far down in the pit that she can’t see over the edge. She rubs her forehead into the wall and clenches her teeth; if Adora got hurt because of her stupid hubris she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. Catra retracts the claws in her left hand, reaches up with the strength of her core, then brings her claws back out to dig them into the wall again. She huffs, “come on. You’re not weak. You can do this.” She slowly pulls herself up, inch by inch, encouraged by the screams above.

Her foot slips on some loose rubble in between sets, the force makes Catra lose her grip leaving her hanging from the wall with one hand. She reaches up with her free hand to get a better grip on the wall but the momentum puts more weight on her other arm; the claws etched into the stone begins to slip loose.

She hears footsteps on the ledge. Would she rather be captured by the enemy or fall to the depths of the unknown? Her revolve grows as do the footsteps.

Catra accepts to fall.

“No!” Adora grabs her hand and pulls her to solid ground. She cradles Catra in her chest and whispers a flurry of sweet nothings. “You’re okay...I’ve got you...I’m not letting go…stay with me…”

Catra shushes her ramblings. “I’m okay.”

Adora nods but refuses to let go. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah...” Adora is covered in some strange blue aurora, the same electric color as her eyes, she’s surging with unkempt power. Catra has so many questions but now isn’t the time. She rubs a reassuring hand down Adora’s spine before she gets up to survey the carnage. The two goons Erma hired are out cold, their bodies are littered with lacerations and streaked with blood but somehow Adora looks untouched. The men are battered, but at least they’re breathing.

Catra hardly bats an eye at the blood. She picks up a gun one of the dazed men was carrying and points it at Erma’s side. “Give it up already.”

“You’re lost.” Erma says, “but soon you’ll understand that everything I do is for you.”

“You have to stop!” Adora shouts suddenly. “This magic isn’t something you can control! It belongs to Etheria, not you!”

Erma snarls. “And you think She Ra deserves it?”

“...no,” Adora takes a step closer until she has Catra shielded by her body. “The Heart of Etheria doesn’t belong to anyone, but it is known to help those with pure intentions to save the world it was created to protect. And even if that is your goal, you can’t use the heart without…”

Erma doesn’t care for Adora’s hidden secrets. “I’m not extracting the heart, not yet. This is just a containment spell that will—“

“Magic isn’t meant to be contained!” Adora’s voice shakes the foundation, somehow it’s more intense than the heart itself. “It’ll only break loose.”

A whisper of magic, quiet like lightening but just as threatening, slips loose and clashes with the walls. The foundation trembles but Catra isn’t afraid; the blue magic around Adora spreads out until Catra can see traces of blue on her own skin.

Adora holds her arm up and summons a  _ shield,  _ laced in white and gold. She’s prepared when the spell backfires, Adora protects them with her shield and the blue magic surrounding them. There’s a bright spark right before the explosion; Catra peeks a glance over Adora’s shoulder to see Erma fly through the air from the backlash of the heart. Adora moves them to one of the cave tunnels when another blast goes off.

They stay huddled in the tunnel until the quaking simmers. Catra waits for the dust to settle but it doesn’t matter.

Erma and her goons are gone.

“The heart.” Catra says. The sparks have settled but the energy in the clearing is still vibrating. “It’s too dangerous for us to just leave it like this. Erma could come back.”

“The heart’s fine.” Adora sighs, “but you’re right about us leaving it unattended. If Erma knows about it then others do too.”

“What now?”

Adora pulls out her phone. “Well, it’s 15 minutes until 5.”

“Shit, I forgot about detention.” Catra groans.

“So,” Adora continues “we get back to the classroom before Huntara finds out and makes Angela add more time to our sentence...and then I tell Razz about the heart and let her take care of the rest.”

“Letting the adults handle things...doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.”

6

Elahji corners her when they get out of the woods. “Erma,” he makes sure they’re a good distance away from the other goons limping behind “that was too close.”

“Astute observation.”

“Erma. This is serious. Two of our men are wounded,  _ I  _ almost died, and for what? Some stupid geo-weapon that won’t even work for us.”

She looks at him.

“Yeah. I heard what the kid said. We’re missing a piece to unlock the heart so what we just did was reckless and for nothing...we lost our advantage on the heart.”

“You’re not seeing the big picture.” Erma mutters. “I just granted us a perfect diversion.”

“...the eclipse is coming,” he realizes with a start.

There are whispers from the goons behind them but they pay it no mind.

“She Ra will tell her little mentor about what happened here today and then they’ll probably send someone to stabilize the heart. But even the most skilled mage will take a little over a week to get it under control. This gives us enough time to prepare for the eclipse.”

Elahji shakes his head in awe. “How did the time go so fast?”

“Everything feels fast here, it’s not like how it was on Half Moon.” Erma shakes away the memories of the fallen kingdom. “We use the eclipse to bring back our deity, and then she’ll obtain the heart while it’s still weak.”

“What about She Ra?” Elijah asks. “If we use the summoning spell on the day of the eclipse then we don’t just resurrect our deity...we bring theirs back too.”

“Then we make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“What if we can’t?”

Erma glances at him. “It doesn’t matter, we've learned from our mistakes so there’s no way we’ll fall into the same traps. We have the advantage here. She’s living with the queen, she’s close with She Ra, everything is in our favor and then some.”

Elahji says no more.

“Catra’s the princess, she was always meant to be the vessel.”

7

They barely make it through the classroom windows when Huntara comes back to check up on them once their time is over. Huntara looks pleasantly surprised when neither of them are dead and decides the rest of their detention can proceed the same (“You guys have done enough hard labor for one week”). It’s good to know they’ll get a break for the rest of their sentence so it lifts some of the weight off Adora’s shoulder as they trudge through the hollow halls of BMA.

“You need a ride?” Catra gestures to the slick BMW people in the school have gossiped about.

Adora normally rides her bike home but it was raining this morning so she took the bus. The last late bus doesn’t stop by the school until 6 and Adora isn’t in the mood for hanging around today so she takes Catra up on her offer.

Adora stares at her hands during the entire ride.

“Thanks for the ride.” Adora says once they’ve stopped outside the small cottage. She puts a hand on the door handle but stops to look at Catra one more time. “Hey, I know today was crazy and there’s still so much we have to talk about but...can we keep that truce standing? Permanently?”

Maybe it’s because she’s exhausted but Catra smiles at her. “I was thinking the same thing. Plus, it’ll get Angela off our backs faster if we look like we’ve made nice.” Adora tries not to show how disappointed she is but it probably doesn’t work because now Catra’s putting a hand on her shoulder. “And it would be cool to catch up again.”

Adora’s voice sounds like she’s out of breath, “really?”

“Yeah...after today, I, I don’t know what you’ve been through but I can tell it’s been a handful. If I had to do this everyday I’d go crazy.” Catra whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Neither do you.”

Adora squeezes the hand on her shoulder. “Well, I saved your life today so I’d say we’re even.”

“Please,” Catra smirks, “you’re the one who tried to jump in front of a bullet for me.”

Adora feels her stomach flutter. She slips out from her seat and says a final goodbye before heading inside. Catra doesn’t leave until Adora is waving at her through the window.

“You’re back late.” Razz startles her from the kitchen where she’s enjoying a warm bowl of porridge at the table.

“Detention.” Adora dumps her book bag by the door and slips out of her shoes (germs and all).

Razz snickers into her bowl. “Angela still hasn’t let up?”

“She will,” Adora thinks back to the truce, and hopefully their rekindled friendship. “I have to tell you something.”

Razz motions for her to have a seat.

“Something happened, I’ve had a long day so I don’t want to talk about it now, I will, but for now…”

“Tell Madame Razz.” She cuts off her rambling with a gentle scorn.

Adora takes a deep breath. “I summoned She Ra today.”

Razz blinks owlishly. “Really?”

Adora nods, biting at her lip to keep her smile at bay. “I know! Like, how is that even possible? I thought I needed the sword to use her power.” She gets up from the table and starts pacing a hole in the kitchen tile. “I’ve been having trouble trying to connect with She Ra ever since I got the sword but now, all of a sudden, I can call her without a problem? It doesn’t make sense...did this happen to Mara?”

Razz shakes her head. “Mara was a special case but, no, she never used her power without the sword. But then again, Mara wasn’t involved in the war like her previous predecessors. All she wanted was peace and so she refused to fight unless it was to protect the innocent, she didn’t choose a side in the war.”

Adora falters. “Really? I thought she was fighting with the alliance like her ancestors.”

“So did everyone else, but Mara didn’t let history define the choices she made.”

Adora shakes her head. “I swear, whenever I take a step forward I feel like the road stretches out further.”

Razz takes a sip of tea, she is the vessel of peace; it’s a big stretch from the rambunctious crazy woman who everyone on the outside associates her as. But Adora knows better, she has seen the wisdom behind those spectacles and has bathed in the madness of her methods which yield great results.

“You’re worked up,” Razz says as if she notices for the first time. “Before you moved here you said you played a lot of sports at the Horde.”

“I did. Why?”

“You said playing sports helped you deal with your emotions, maybe this is the same. It’s not the sword that draws out your power, it’s already inside of you, the sword is just an accessory. An activator.” Razz says, “your emotions are what drive you. Not very ideal, your enemies can use that to your advantage, but it’s a beautiful thing...”

“...what is?”

“Fighting for someone you care about.” Razz smiles. “Now go take a shower, you stink.”

Adora takes a shower per Razz’s request and then sits on the ledge of her window sill. She stares out into the night in the direction of Glimmer’s house where Catra’s staying.

8

“You’re late.” Angela greets her from the couch. Catra leans against the front door and takes a moment to take in the sight; Micah is deep in sleep (if the drool isn’t telling) on Angela’s shoulder. “Where were you?”

Catra shrugs off her leather jacket and drapes it on her arm. “I gave Adora a ride home. She took the bus today and didn’t want to wait for it.”

Angela looks surprised. “Does this mean…”

“It means you don’t have to worry about people placing bets on us again.”

“Right...and in case this is some scheme to get me to loosen my grip on you, detention will continue until—“

“Track starts next week, love.” Micah mutters.

Angela huffs, “fine...but no more acts of defiance. Are there any other rivals you have that are attending BMA?”

“No.” Catra says. “But I’ll inform you if any pop up.”

Angela mutters under her breath but Catra pays no mind to it, she jogs up the steps even as her muscles scream against every move she makes. She knocks three times— _ tap, tap, tap _ —on Glimmer’s door and lets herself in.

“Hey.” Glimmer’s sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, laptop in her lap probably working on some homework but knowing Glimmer she’s probably just shopping. “How was detention with the coach from hell and the blonde from your past?”

Catra closes the door to buy time and privacy. “Huntara just locked us in a room and said  _ be free  _ and, Adora and I have made up in a sense.”

Glimmer gasps. “That’s great! Now there won’t be any tension at my yacht party.”

“Yes, I made up with my old best friend to make you comfortable at your party.”

“Thank you.” Glimmer pretends like there are tears in her eyes. “But seriously, you seem off...anything you want to talk about?”

Catra nods. “I need a favor, actually.”

“Oh?”

“I want you to tell me everything you know about She Ra and her role in the war against the alliance and the Lost Ones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a long time since I’ve written an action/adventure story but it’s my forte so it shouldn’t be hard getting back into the rhythm and it’s great practice. My updating schedule will be weekly (ie: Ten Days, then the final chapter of It’s (you’re) different, and then the cycle will return to this story).
> 
> Let me know what you guys think or if you have any predictions or suggestions! Thanks for reading!


	5. OCTOBER FEVER!

CHAPTER FIVE:

OCTOBER FEVER!

0

_ Catra knocks three times— tap, tap, tap—on Glimmer’s door and lets herself in. _

_ “Hey.” Glimmer’s sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, laptop in her lap. It looks like she’s working on some homework but knowing Glimmer she’s probably just shopping. “How was detention with the coach from hell and the blonde from your past?” _

_ Catra closes the door to buy time and privacy. “Huntara just locked us in a room and said be free and, Adora and I have made up in a sense.” _

_ Glimmer gasps. “That’s great! Now there won’t be any tension at my yacht party.” _

_ “Yes, I made up with my old best friend to make you comfortable at your party.” _

_ “Thank you.” Glimmer pretends like there are tears in her eyes. “But seriously, you seem off...anything you want to talk about?” _

_ Catra nods. “I need a favor, actually.” _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “I want you to tell me everything you know about She Ra and her role in the war against the alliance and the Lost Ones.” _

_ “Oh.” Catra watches Glimmer’s face carefully, she’s gotten pretty good at reading people over the years—being lied to so many times has helped her pick apart every detail—it also helps that she’s committed Glimmer’s face to memory. Call it a second agenda, call it a tactic she’s picked up, but while Catra has cherished the time she and Glimmer have spent together it was also enlightening. She thought she knew her well enough but suddenly there’s a shadow cloaking Glimmer’s face. It’s unfamiliar. _

_ Catra doesn’t trust it. _

_ “Yeah, you know about She Ra right?” Catra stalks around the room, trailing her claw along the dresser without looking away from Glimmer’s face. But there’s no change, her heart doesn’t even falter in its tempo. Catra finds it very unsettling. “Adora.” _

_ Glimmer smiles. A feeble attempt at something that should comfort her. Catra forces her hand not to clench into a telling fist. “Adora, yeah, of course you know...you’ve been friends since forever. Shouldn’t you be asking her about this?” _

_ “I have but she doesn’t know much.” _

_ “Maybe she’s not telling you everything. Maybe she has to keep some things secret?” _

_ Catra almost chokes down a laugh but decides to let it loose to dissolve some of the tension. She makes it one of those squeaky little cackles, almost a giggle, a sound she makes when she’s feeling playful. “Adora couldn’t lie to me even if she tried.” It does the trick. Glimmer’s expression weakens, that passive mask melts into something familiar. _

_ “Yeah, she sucks at lying.” Glimmer says after a moment, “I don’t know everything about the war, it’s not like I was there but...She Ra, the one at the time, was fighting with the alliance to take out the...Lost Ones.” Her mouth twitches when she says the word—it’s foreign to her. _

_ “What were they fighting for?” _

_ Glimmer is quiet again. She stares at Catra with unyielding eyes. “Probably Etheria.” _

_ “...the magic.” _

_ “You know?” Glimmer frowns. _

_ “No, Adora mentioned it to me when we were in middle school right before she left for training. She said there’s magic all around us, I just didn’t think it was worth fighting over. The rest of the world goes on fine without it.” Catra opens the door. She has a feeling this is all she’s going to get out of this conversation. “Maybe I’ll go check out a library and do some reading.” _

_ Glimmer cracks a smile. “You read?” _

_ “Occasionally.” Catra says. “Goodnight, Sparkles.” _

_ “Yeah. Goodnight.” _

1

It was not easy getting to sleep after her conversation with Glimmer last week. The twist of Glimmer’s lips on the word— _ Lost Ones _ —keeps her awake long after the sun has risen, it even haunts her in class when it creeps into her daydreams. It drives her. Catra spends her lunch period with a half eaten sandwich hanging from her mouth as she searches the library for anything on a forgotten war. She comes up empty, in fact, the books on Etherian history are conveniently checked out. She doesn’t have the emotional endurance to ask Adora for help least she risks another deep conversation she’s not in the mood for so Catra focuses on lowering the heat. For now, she’ll let it go and pretend like nothing has changed.

A big part of this scheme comes into play on the third week of October when the unexpected happens—Catra Moore wakes up on time, and on a Monday morning nonetheless. It takes a lot out of her (she has to splash three palm fills of water in her face to achieve it) but it’s worth seeing Glimmer almost fall flat on her face when she comes down the stairs late per usual. 

Glimmer does a double take when she finds Catra eating cereal at the kitchen table. She rubs her eyes. “Am I still dreaming?”

“Let me see...Nope. You’re still wearing that school girl uniform. It’s probably not a dream, it’s a nightmare, Sparkles.” Catra looks at the time and finishes the milk from her bowl. She tosses her dirty dish in the sink and rushes to gather her bag for class. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

Glimmer looks at her parents with desperate eyes. “What is happening?”

Micah grins. “Indoor track officially starts today.”

“Already?” Glimmer’s eyes go wide.

“Yeah. Time flies when you’re having fun.” Micah says with glee.

“You mean time flies when you’re holding a stopwatch while I do all the running and heavy lifting?” Catra huffs.

“Specifics.” Micah shrugs.

Catra sticks her tongue out at him.

“I’m sorry.” Glimmer shakes her head. “I’m still trying to get over the fact that Catra is actually trying to get to school on time.”

Angela mutters into her cup of tea. “If I knew this was all it took for her to show up to class on time I would’ve moved up the start date for the season. Unfortunately, there is no force strong enough to make her take off that atrocious leather jacket.”

Catra chooses to ignore the dig at her jacket (for now), and throws a banana in Glimmer’s unsuspecting face. “Hurry up.”

Glimmer glowers at her. “I don’t even know who you are right now, you must be some evil doppelganger set out to ruin my life. My instincts are telling me to ride with mom today.” 

“Don’t worry,” Catra smirks from the door frame “you and she can sing along to Opera music when she takes you home after school.”

Glimmer looks mortified. “ _ What _ ? You’re not driving me home today?”

“Unless you want to wait until 5.” Catra says.

“This is so unfair!” Glimmer actually stomps her foot. Catra thought this shit only happened in movies and dumb TV shows. “I’ve already had to take the bus when Catra was in detention.”

“Oh! I know what you can do.”

“What?”

“Get your license.” Catra deadpans.

“You know I only turn 16 in two months!” Glimmer is fuming but she snatches the banana and chases after Catra, bickering all the way.

Micah shakes his head. “Those two argue so much.”

“They do.”

“You’re smiling? I’m sorry, I thought arguing was a bad thing.”

“Micah,” she grabs his hand and squeezes “they sound like  _ sisters _ .”

2

Adora chains her bike up at the front of the school just as the first wave of busses arrive at their designated drop off location at the front entrance of BMA. She shoulders her book bag and heads to the cafeteria where her friends are likely hanging out as they await the first bell for class. There’s a good half hour before class begins but she needs all the time she can get. Catra has unsurprisingly gone back to ignoring her, or at least—she’s minimizing the amount of contact she has with her. It puts a dent in her plans because 1) she thought they were making progress in mending their friendship and 2) Catra is the key.

After the Crystal Cave, Adora told Razz what happened. Razz promised to look into it and maybe send some friends to stabilize the heart. In the meantime, now that she knows what it feels like to use She Ra’s power, Adora has tried to reenact it, and so far each trial has ended in failure. Using the sword only seems to make it worse.

“Hey Bow.” She taps his shoulder when he doesn’t respond right away. “Hello?”

Bow startles. “Oh hey, sorry I didn’t see you.”

“I can see that. What’s going on?”

“It’s been a weird morning overall,” Bow confesses. “Sea Hawk is in the headmistress's office because he accidently set Mermista’s bookbag on fire when he was trying to do this magic trick or something. Mermista said she was freaked out by it but Glimmer swears she saw her blushing.”

Adora pouts. “Man, I always miss the good stuff. What else happened?”

“Well, the stray cat that hangs around the turf field has gone from Mark to Marcy. She had kittens! Perfuma put them in a box with some blankets and milk right before she drove back home so...she’s not coming back to class for a while.” Bow grins sheepishly when he notices her crestfallen face. “What? We named one after you!”

Adora snorts. “Gee thanks.”

Bow nods over to the other side of the cafeteria. “Oh, and Catra showed up super early.”

Adora follows his gaze. Catra’s on the cafeteria floor stretching her hamstrings, Glimmer is sitting at the table adjacent shaking her head with a pained expression as she watches on. “What is happening?” Adora whispers.

“Track season. I’ve never seen her so focused.”

Adora asks, “what time is practice?”

“I think after school, and it’s more of a tryout kind of thing. Mermista is going to be there too, she claims she’s doing some project for class or something and she needs to observe people but I think it’s just a way for her to get out of swim practice so she can check up on Sea Hawk in detention.” They step into the crossfire. “Glimmer...you doing okay?”

“Me? I’m fine. She’s the lunatic.”

Catra’s ear twitches in Glimmer’s direction but she doesn’t say a word.

Adora sits crossed legged on the floor next to Catra while Bow tries to calm Glimmer down. “Hey,” she nods awkwardly, stumbling on her words when Catra looks up, “why are you on the floor?”

“I know I get on you a lot for being an idiot but I thought even you’d know what stretching is.”

Adora knocks her foot into Catra’s, grinning. “You’re such an asshole.”

“You make it too easy.” Catra says, “I’m going to be sitting in class pretending to pay attention all day so I need to stretch my legs. I don’t want them to be tight at practice. Remember when we went for a jog in the park that one time? I told you to stretch—“

“I did!”

“—all you did was jump up and down like you were some dumb boxer getting ready for a match. We barely got past the block before you pulled a hammy.”

Adora shudders. “I still get flashbacks.”

“It was like 20 degrees out. I told you to stretch but you didn’t listen.”

“So anyway,” she’s over talking about the most embarrassing moments in her childhood “track is starting today. That’s exciting.”

Catra shrugs. “I guess.”

“You guess?” Glimmer looks betrayed. “Guys, she was eating  _ cereal _ this morning. Track has changed her.”

“And you say I’m dramatic.”

Glimmer glares at her sister. “You better be back to normal for Saturday.”

Adora frowns. “What’s on Saturday?”

“No way.” Catra grins. “You didn’t invite her? This day keeps getting better.”

Adora thinks Catra meant to whisper the last part but knowing her it was intentional. Truce or not, there’s still a lot they need to talk about—if only Catra would talk to her seriously for just a minute.

Glimmer rolls her eyes. “I did invite her. I sent you an invitation in the mail but it got sent back to me.”

“Razz doesn’t trust mailboxes.”

Catra’s interest is piqued. “Then what does she use?”

“Owls.”

“I also sent you a text. Last week.” Glimmer mentions.

Adora was busy trying not to get buried alive in the Crystal Cave. “...must’ve slipped my mind?”

Glimmer claps her hands drawing attention to them (more attention than Catra doing her warm up in the cafeteria). “Okay listen up. My yacht party is going to be amazing and I will not have the two of you ruin it by being yourselves—“

“Glimmer!”

“It’s true!” Glimmer points at Adora, and then at Catra, glaring. “No owls and none of...whatever this is.“

“Relax Sparkles,” Catra’s face softens which is not fair at all because she has barely given Adora the time of day let alone a look like that “your party is going to be awesome.”

Glimmer lowers her guard. “Thank you.”

“Whatever. It’s not like I—“

“Should we get to class?” Adora’s mouth moves without her permission. They give her weird looks. She scratches her neck and gives a weak argument. “Don’t want to be late.”

Catra checks the time and shrugs. “She’s not wrong.”

It makes Adora laugh harder than she has in a while.

3

“Ladies!” Micah commands the track with a presence so powerful Catra almost doesn’t recognize him. “Welcome to the first day of tryouts for BMA’s indoor track season, we’re going to do things a little bit differently this year. Usually we have you all do the work out together but this year we’re going to let you pick which event group you would like to join and then your group will have a specialized workout. Until then, you can all do your warmup as a group—“

“Sorry, sorry, I know I’m late.” Adora, of all people, runs out to join the huddle. She steps in near the back to hide herself but Catra sees her ponytail bobbing over the crowd.

“We were just getting started.” Micah says. “Go ahead and start your warmup, the seniors will lead you. Good luck ladies.” He joins the other coaches out on the grass to have a meeting of their own.

Adora jogs up beside her. “Hey—“

“What are you doing here?” Catra keeps her voice lowered, they’re already getting looks from the girls jogging ahead of them. She’s not sure but she wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were in the gym during their little  _ incident _ . “Following me?”

Adora takes too long to respond.

“Seriously?” Catra snaps.

“No. No! I’m not...not exactly.” Adora smiles, sheepish. “I just thought it would be cool to join a club, plus it’s great exercise for my She Ra training I do on the side.”

“Whatever. Just stay out of my way.” Catra jogs to the front and doesn’t look back. Truce or not, she has come too far to be outshined by Adora. She didn’t care when Adora beat her at bike racing when they were 13...they went all the way around the block and back, encouraged by the cheers of their friends who lived with them at Weaver’s place. Catra remembers losing by a hair, feeling cheated by the cheap bike Weaver copped off the street for her compared to Adora’s fancy speeder. It was the longest ride home, having to swallow her pride and listen to everyone praise the golden child all the way back.

Catra has been running her entire life. There’s no way Adora’s going to beat her at this.

After four laps around the track the seniors lead them in the basic stretches and drills. When everyone is warmed up the five coaches join them on the track standing 6 feet apart and in the middle of it all is Micah.

“The event groups are as follows; throwers, sprinters, and jumpers. If you’re a thrower join coach Chris, sprinters with coach Manti, and jumpers you’re with me.” Micah walks to the start line with coach Manti while the other coaches break off into the grass.

Catra is the first to step up to the line. Adora’s the second. “Seriously?” Catra keeps it short because she isn’t going to waste her energy arguing with Adora.

“I like jumping.” Adora does a stupid bounce on the tip of her toes.

Catra grunts, “it’s not that kind of jumping you moron.”

“I thought this was the jump group,” some girl asks “why is the sprint coach here? No offense.”

Micah smiles. “All the best jumpers are sprinters.”

Coach Monti frowns. “If you expected to avoid running by choosing this event group then I suggest you leave the track right now. And don’t think about joining the throwers because they sprint just like the rest of us. This is not an after school club, this is Track and Field.”

Micah pulls out his stop watch. “Jumpers! On the line. Today we’re doing repeat 300’s.”

“What are 300’s?” Adora whispers.

Catra sighs. “The entire track is 400 meters, and it’s cut into four even sections—100 meters exactly. So a 300 is like running ¾ of the track.”

“How ma—“

Catra covers Adora’s mouth. She whispers, “never ask how many reps we’re doing or they’ll add on more.”

“Runners on your mark...” Micah begins.

Catra gets into position.

“Get set...”

Her foot toes the line.

“Go!”

Catra drives off the ball of her foot like she’s been trained to, it helps drive her forward and with each stride she powers her movements with her arms. She lets her arms lead the motion of her legs—driving them forward. Ripping at the track. It’s impossible to concentrate on every technique Micah has taught her—now is the time to rely on muscle memory. She clears her head and focuses on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.

Months of training helps her to ensure that every time her foot strikes the ground, it pulls her body forward. Soon Catra is ripping down the track with the wind in her hair. It’s reminiscent of her adolescence, but she’s not in the park and this time she’s not running away from anything—she’s running towards something. And by the time she reaches the 200 meter mark Catra breaks from the pack and is leading the group.

When her arms get tired she pushes her hips up to maintain her posture. She’s nearing the end when Adora passes her halfway to the finish line. Adora sprints at full speed until she gets to the finish. 

“43!” Micah shouts Adora’s time.

Catra crosses the line after her. “47!”

Not too long after, the rest of the girls slowly trickle in. Micah shouts the remaining times, and once everyone is finished he tells them to walk for 100 meters and get back on the line for the next set.

When she looks over she sees Adora hunched over, gripping her knees, heaving. “Pretty...good...right?”

Catra keeps her arms above her head to get oxygen to her lungs faster. She looks down at Adora and takes in her flushed cheeks and wind riddled ponytail.

“You’re an idiot.”

* * *

Adora manages to come in first during the initial two races, but as the rests in between get shorter she starts to break down. Catra makes sure she paces herself with every rep, not going all out, when the other girls start slowing down Catra steadies herself and leads the group. Adora may have beaten her the first two reps but by the time practice is over Catra comes out on top for the last six.

“Great work today ladies! And make sure you get a good cool down in.”

Adora is practically hanging off the fence. Catra only spares her a glance and breaks into a jog to get her cool down over with.

“Catra!” Mermista is waving her over from the other side of the track. Out of curiosity (not because her legs are sore) she goes over to where Mermista is hanging out with some muscular girl with a pixie cut—hair dyed white?

_ It works for her,  _ Catra thinks.

“Hey, what are you doing here? Bow said you’re on the swim team.” She leans against the fence.

Mermista shrugs. “I am, but coach let me skip so I could—“

“You were amazing!” The white haired teen has a smile stretched across her face. She all but squeals. “Sorry to interrupt—“

“It’s whatever.” Mermista looks at her nails.

“But you looked so good out there!”

Catra’s face heats up. She stammers, “oh. Thank you?”

“This is Scorpia and she’s a...thrower? Is that what it’s called?”

“Correct!” Scorpia grins. “We had a break in between sets and saw you killing it on the track.”

Mermista nods. “Not bad for your first practice ever.”

“Micah has been training me for most of the summer so I got in pretty good shape I guess. But uhm,” Catra isn’t good at this making friends thing, the kids in the orphanage are more like a forced family she grew to care about over time “I would love to check you guys out when you start throwing. Or in the weight room, I need to get my bench weight up and my squats too.”

“What do you squat?”

“190 on a good day.”

Mermista whistles. “Impressive. That’s like our warmup at my practices.”

Catra laughs at the quip. She decides that she likes Mermista. “Yeah well, Micah says jumpers need to have strong legs.”

“What kind of jumps are you interested in?”

Catra stretches her quad so her legs don’t get stiff while she’s standing around. “Triple jump and long jump.”

Scorpia pulls out her phone. “We basically live in the weight room. What’s your number? Maybe the three of us can get a workout in some time.”

Catra nods. “Yeah, that actually sounds good.” She puts her number in Scorpia’s phone.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you,” Scorpia teases the loose strand on her hoodie and struggles to make eye contact “I think you’re in my gym class? I was there during that epic game between you and She Ra.”

Catra frowns. “Really? I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard I’m not very noticeable.” Catra obviously thinks  _ that  _ is a lie and wants to claw the face of the person who let this marshmallow believe it but Scorpia isn’t done rambling. “I also saw you walk towards the cafeteria during 4th period and then turn around so I think we have lunch together? And I know you’re probably too cool to hang out with us but if you ever wanted somewhere to sit at lunch we would love to have you. Right Mermista?”

“I guess,” her tone is dry but her lip quirks up in a light smile.

“I’m usually just in the library hiding from all the noise but I’ll think about it. And I should probably finish my cool down before the coaches make me do another rep or something. I’ll see you guys around.” Catra gets back to her cool down lap and falls behind a couple girls. There’s low chatter behind her, usually she’d pay no mind to it but something they say makes her ear twitch subtly in their direction.

_ “...I’m serious, she’s the girl who took on She Ra in the gym last week.” _

_ “I told you she was fast.” _

_ “Looks like it’s a tie now.” _

_ “Not for long. Catra’s gonna come back, just watch.” _

Catra speeds up until the whispers die down into a hush.

4

After practice is over Adora takes a lone walk of shame to her bike. She almost thinks she isn’t going to make it but eventually she’s able to get on the seat—it bites into her sore butt muscles and they screams for her to get off. She’s wary of putting her foot on the pedal, isn’t sure if her body can take it, when the car everyone’s been talking about pulls up beside her. Catra leans out of the window and nods. “Do you need a ride?”

Adora looks at the sleek BMW and then to her beaten down bike that’s grown rusty over the years. She always hated this bike, but Weaver insisted on giving her something new and flashy when all she’s ever wanted was something more comfortable like the bike Catra had. “I don’t think your car can hold my bike without messing up your seats.” She gestures to the dried up mud caked to her bike tires.

“Then leave the bike and walk tomorrow.”

Adora’s face twists up. If she walks to school she’ll be disheveled and sweaty by the time she gets to class (being a teenager sucks). “I can just bike, it's fine.”

Catra grunts, “get in the car Adora, you were just throwing up and I’m not going to be responsible for you passing out on the way home. If you’re so worried about tomorrow then Glimmer and I will pick you up for class.”

It sounds like a decent solution and she’s dreading a bike ride home so she gives. Adora locks her bike back up and gets into the passenger seat. “Do you remember how to—“

“You live in a cottage in the woods. Of course I remember how to get there.” Catra turns on the radio to drown out the silence and any chance for conversation. Adora is too tired to fight for the scraps leftover from their friendship, today has been long and unbearable and all she wants to do is go home and eat something greasy. She leans against the window, embraces the chill radiating from it, and takes in the passing blur of trees.

“Why did you show up today?” She doesn’t notice the music has lowered dramatically until Catra speaks. “Why are you trying out for track? You’ve never cared about it before and you’ve done a shit ton of sports. And don’t say you’re passionate about it because you’re obviously not. 

“I bet you thought you could show up and impress everyone by beating me, like you’ve always done, but this isn’t something you can win at.”

Adora rubs her forehead in time with the throbbing. “That’s not what this was about.”

“Then fucking enlighten me.” Catra snaps. “You can’t just show up at my track like we’re best friends. You don’t know what I’ve had to deal with since you’ve been gone—“

“Because you won’t tell me!”

“Because I don’t trust you!” Catra shoots back.

“...yeah,” Adora swallows back an insult of her own because Catra isn’t the only one who’s hurting “that much is clear.”

Catra shakes her head. She speaks again but this time she’s lacking the bite she previously used. “You just thought you could win everyone over but we have all trained over the summer, Adora. We sacrificed most of our mornings and nights for this because we love the sport and it really pisses me off that you—“

“I did it for you.”

Catra’s jaw drops but she catches it just as quickly as it had fallen. When she glances at her Adora turns her head—she doesn’t want to see her face right now. “What are you talking about?”

“...I’ve never been able to use She Ra’s power, not even with the sword, I asked Razz what she thought about it and she told me that maybe my power comes from emotions.” Adora ducks her head. “All I remember is wanting to protect you and then suddenly...I made a connection.”

Catra scoffs. “So you think I’m some kind of key and you only want me around so you can use your stupid powers.”

“No,” Adora frowns “I just…okay, yes, it does have something to do with that but I do care about you Catra. You know I do.”

“Well maybe you should start acting like it because I’m starting to forget.”

“Look I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry Erma is planning something with the heart and I’m sorry I have to focus on my responsibilities with She Ra before I can fix our friendship...there’s just not enough time.”

“You know what? I was wrong. You haven’t changed at all, you’re still making dumb excuses to justify the fact that all you do is focus on She Ra instead of living in the moment and being here for the people who need you.” Catra should be falling apart but her voice is surprisingly calm. “I thought I understood you, after the cave I thought maybe it justified what you did but now...I can own up to making a mistake. A momentary lapse in judgment.”

The car stops. Adora looks out the window and sees the cottage illuminated by the candles inside each window.

“Let me get one thing straight.” Catra sets her with a hard look and soon Adora is frozen—fear crawls up her legs, it keeps creeping up until it makes itself at home. Maybe a permanent resident. “We are not friends. I will be respectful to you, and for Glimmer’s sake I won’t make a scene at her party or around our friends. I won’t speak to you unless it has something to do with this secret that we’ve come across but make no mistake—when this is over, I’m done.”

Catra unlocks the doors blindly. “Glimmer and I will be here to get you in the morning.”

Adora fumbles at the door handle. She gets out, lingers by the open door, before she mutters “I told Razz what happened at the cave...she went down to investigate the status of the heart and said it’s worse for wear so she might have to call in some friends to help her but it should be fixed soon enough.”

Catra waits.

“And I told her about the carvings we saw on the cave wall but she said she didn’t see them when she went.”

“Goodnight Adora.”

She closes the door at the obvious dismissal and gives a stiff nod. “Goodnight.”

This time Catra doesn’t wait to see if Adora makes it inside safely before she drives off. And when Adora looks in the bathroom mirror she’s startled by the tears streaking her blotched face.

5

When she gets home a weight is magically lifted off her shoulders when she sees Micah standing in the living room like a creep (she saw him peeking at her from the blinds while she parked the car). He has his arms behind his back but she’s distracted by the smile that breaks across his face.

“This isn’t creepy at all.” Catra jokes, dumping her stuff to the floor before meeting him halfway. She startles when he reveals a well wrapped box that’s about the same size of a shoe box. He’s not very good at being secretive. “You got me new shoes?”

Micah shakes his head. “Spikes actually, for triple jump, we’re going to be doing some drills in the sand next week so you’re going to need them.”

“You wrapped them? Seriously?”

“I couldn’t help myself.”

Catra takes the box and smiles. “Thank you.”

“You did great today. All the coaches were impressed,” he hesitates “I shouldn’t be telling you this but when our seniors are gone the team will need new captains and right now you’re a candidate.”

Catra frowns. “How? It was my first day.”

“We saw you check up on Adora after practice.” Her stomach hurls—great, another thing she’s gotten because Adora’s involved. She wishes she could just have one thing to herself, something that doesn’t revolve around her relationship with Adora. “It was very kind of you and we need a captain who cares about her team.”

Catra plasters on a fake smile. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll open this tomorrow though because I am exhausted.” They say goodnight and Catra goes up to her room while Micah heads to Angela’s office where the light peeks out from under the door. 

Catra stops outside her room, her ears twitch backwards, she snorts “I can hear your heavy ass breathing.”

Glimmer’s door opens. “I don’t breathe  _ that  _ heavy.”

“Yeah you do.” Catra puts the box under her arm and leans back into the frame of her door. “What’s going on?”

Glimmer shrugs. “Nothing.”

“You were just standing by your door waiting for me to get home like a creep for nothing? Sure.” Catra frowns. “I’m really not in the mood for forcing answers out of you so can you either tell me why you’ve been acting crazy all day or leave me alone so I can get some sleep?”

Glimmer looks away. “I just…” she trails off.

“Spit it out!”

“I miss you!” Glimmer snaps. “There? Are you happy now?”

Catra doesn’t get it. “How can you miss me when I live with you? I’m literally standing right here.”

“You can miss someone even when they’re right in front of you,” Glimmer is amused for a moment but soon she’s sliding down to the ground with a sad pout. Catra copies her because she’s been on her feet all day and needs a break. “We used to sing off key to the radio on the ride home from class, and we used to hang out after school playing video games together, and we used to sleep in on purpose to give mom a hard time. But now you have practice and I barely even saw you today—and you woke up so early! It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”

Catra wishes she was better at this stuff. “I’m still  _ me _ , I just have responsibilities now. But I’m not like—just because I have priorities doesn’t mean you’re not one.”

“I know…change is just hard I guess.”

Catra nods. “Not if we do it together...and we can still hang out on the weekends, and I might not be able to sleep in to piss off Angela but I can give you a new  _ uniform  _ that’ll make her faint.”

Glimmer laughs. “I know you’re going to hate me when I say this but...I like the skirt. I do! It’s cute.”

“And to think I was proud of you once.”

“Very funny.” Glimmer bites her lip, hesitating. “I know you’ve had a long day so if you want to get some sleep—“

“It’s fine.”

“Yeah?”

Catra smirks. “Of course, I can’t go to bed without telling you how Adora threw up chunks at practice after I beat her at a test of endurance.”

Glimmer covers her mouth. “No way.”

“Yeah.” Catra snorts. “It was awesome.”

“I’m sorry,” Glimmer says in between laughs “I’m not making fun of her or anything but that’s so funny. I didn’t even know she was interested in track.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know.” Catra mutters a bit too dark.

Glimmer picks up on it and asks, “hey...you guys are still friends right? The truce still stands?”

Catra makes sure her smile doesn’t falter when she says, “of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wouldn’t be a CatraxAdora story if they didn’t take one step forward and then twenty steps back. Also, Adora’s first bike was replaced when she got older (another fancy bike Weaver picked out) but she has had it since the end of middle school. Didn’t want it to seem like she’s riding around on a kids bike when she’s in high school. Thanks for reading, the next chapter is the yacht party! Chapter title: Runaway Cat!


End file.
